Pope in new attack on gay marriage
The Pope took his opposition to gay marriage to new heights today, denouncing what he described as people manipulating their God-given gender to suit their sexual choices.
He said they were destroying the very "essence of the human creature" in the process.
Pope Benedict XVI made the comments in his annual Christmas speech to the Vatican bureaucracy - one of his most important speeches of the year.
He dedicated it this year to promoting family values in the face of vocal campaigns in France, the United States, Britain and elsewhere to legalise same-sex marriage.
In his remarks, Pope Benedict quoted the chief rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, in saying the campaign for granting gays the right to marry and adopt children was an "attack" on the traditional family made up of a father, mother and children.
"People dispute the idea that they have a nature, given to them by their bodily identity, that serves as a defining element of the human being," he said. "They deny their nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves."
"The manipulation of nature, which we deplore today where our environment is concerned, now becomes man's fundamental choice where he himself is concerned," he said.
It was the second time in a week that Pope Benedict has taken on the question of gay marriage, which is dividing France after proponents scored big electoral wins in the United States last month. In his recently released annual peace message, Pope Benedict said gay marriage, like abortion and euthanasia, was a threat to world peace.
After the peace message was released last week, gay activists staged a small protest in St. Peter's Square.
Church teaching holds that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered," though it stresses that gays should be treated with compassion and dignity.
As pope and as head of the Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog before that, Pope Benedict has been a strong enforcer of that teaching: One of the first major documents of his pontificate said men with "deep-seated" homosexual tendencies shouldn't be ordained priests.
For the Vatican, though, the gay marriage issue goes beyond questions of homosexuality, threatening what the church considers to be the bedrock of society: a family based on a man, woman and their children.
But the Vatican's opposition has been falling on deaf ears. Under then-Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the largely Roman Catholic Spain legalised gay marriage.
Earlier this month, the British government announced it will introduce a bill next year legalising gay marriage, though it would ban the Church of England from conducting same-sex ceremonies.
In France, President Francois Hollande has said he would enact his "marriage for everyone" plan within a year of taking office last May. The text will go to parliament next month. But the country has been divided by vocal opposition from religious leaders, prime among them Bernheim, as well as some politicians and parts of rural France.
The Socialist government's plan also envisions legalising same-sex adoptions. Pope Benedict quoted Bernheim as denouncing that in his view, under the plan, a child is now essentially considered an object people have a right to obtain.
"When freedom to be creative becomes the freedom to create oneself, then necessarily the Maker himself is denied and ultimately man too is stripped of his dignity as a creature of God," Pope Benedict said.
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Ken Cowan
Feb 12th, 21:08
One more time he shows his ignorance; being gay is NOT a choice - and therefore not a sin either.
As the song says, people are "Born This Way"... it is all in the grand scheme of things, even if the Vatican doesn't like it. WHO would CHOOSE to be marginalized from their families, face prison and sometimes death? Only idiots could think it is a choice.
URSULA RICHES
Jan 22nd, 16:36
Why are there so many gay men with naturally conceived children from previous or existing marriages? Is it because homosexuality is a CHOICE? In the past men often had affairs when their wife and they grew a little older but now they often go GAY. Homosexuality is a fashion, it is a choice and frequently covers adulterous relations. It is usually a choice to be sexually active at all.
Bernice Vella
Jan 14th, 10:22
Never thought I'd see the day when two people getting married is as much of a threat as a bomb. and who would CHOOSE to be shunned from society exactly? Being gay is as much of a choice as being born male of female.
P. Vincenti
Dec 28th 2012, 12:57
God made Adam and Eve and NOT Adam and Steve!
I have nothing against homosexuals. Indeed I have some great friends who are homosexual.
Marriage and adoption of children by homosexuals however is a no go area.
Kurt Mifsud
Dec 28th 2012, 22:46
Are the going to marry you? So what's your problem. Let them marry each other and be happy, and most of all, mind your own business
P. Vincenti
Dec 30th 2012, 10:07
Kurt what kind of warped argument is that? It has nothing to do with me personally but much to do with all of society and our children.
Ken Cowan
Jan 3rd, 12:16
20 years of studies show that children raised by gay parents are JUST as well-balanced as any others. And plenty of gays marry without any thought of having children, so stop mixing the two into one argument. That is specious reasoning - in fact it is NOT reasoning at all!
Ken Cowan
Feb 12th, 21:16
No go for YOU... but what difference could it possibly make in YOUR life if someone else gets married, gay or straight, hmmm? And 30 years of studies have shown that children of gay parents -adopted or not - are just as well-adjusted as any others. Inform yourself and stop judging. Jesus woudn't like it!
Alfred Gatt
Dec 24th 2012, 20:07
The proper meaning of marriage is that between a man and a woman. Others you can call them relationship. This remains the real meaning of marriage no matter what legality is given to any other type of relationship.
Ercole Spiteri
Dec 24th 2012, 16:11
It is the Pope's duty to preach the truth and to open the eyes of the people for their own good unlike today's corrupted politicians who in their thirst for power are ready to do whatever they can to secure their votes, irrelevant if it is bad for society or not. Furthermore these corrupted politicians are ready to support this law since it does not touch their power or purse.
Ken Cowan
Feb 12th, 21:19
HIS truth, not necessarily anyone else's. And not everyone is Catholic or religious. Why should he be forced to follow OTHER people's religious doctrines? One can be atheist and just as moral as anyone else.
Claudio Cilia
Dec 22nd 2012, 20:10
No , minix ser inkun qabar abjad u nifrah lil Papa... anzi, il-papa tieghi stess qed igalni nisthi mir-religjon tieghi .. arkuza u tal-misthijja! While he is comfortable in his over-the-top dress and rich chair , he doesn't realise what a mess such 'teachings' do,,, U naf li awn hafna kontra il kliem tieghi, pero ax hajti anda tkun suggett ghall oppinjoni pubblika, meta ta haddiehor ma gara xejn?
adrian attard
Dec 22nd 2012, 19:33
everyone has the right to disagree, but I think it's worth reading the whole message...
on the other hand I find the Pope expecting too much out of ordinary people. Not everyone is prepared, as he is, to understand the theology of the body.
G. Xerri
Dec 22nd 2012, 13:51
look at all those ever so valuable objects in that picture, loaded with money while others suffer poverty. How's that helping world peace? Seems to me the pope, and oh so many others, enjoys far too many luxuries in 'the name of God'. Yet, two people committing themselves to each other is now disruptive to world peace? Rather selfish and sickening, is it not?
James Doyle
Dec 24th 2012, 03:31
Your right its sickening what's not right is not right .You don't need religion to tell you that .Also as far as poverty is concerned the Catholic Church does more both practical and financial than any Country in the World and if you are so concerned about Poverty tell us what charity for the Third World you contribute to .As for myself and others we give to SCIAF MARY'S MEALS MISSIONS .etc.
Kenneth Azzopardi
Dec 22nd 2012, 11:56
If gay marriage is a threat to world peace the pope has really lost all hope of church unity this comment will only create deeper chasms within its community where is all the human rights policy.
Mark Bugeja MD MMCFD
Dec 24th 2012, 21:21
Human rights is not synonymous with the right to doing whatever one wants.
Politicians have a responsibility towards the whole of society. Thus they can legalise "civil (gay or otherwise) relationships" but NOT "gay 'marriages' ".
Furthermore, the Pope is conveying what is clear in the Biblical texts considered by the Church to be the "Printed Word of God" not papal ideas or opinions!
Dieter Micallef
Dec 22nd 2012, 10:51
Also, being gay is definitely not a choice. (Religious) people who don't believe this should read scientific papers where it has been found that homosexuality is not only in humans and nor is homosexual sex.
Dieter Micallef
Dec 22nd 2012, 10:48
If gays are "destroying the essence of human creatures", allow me to remind you ('dear' pope) that the biological function of a creature is to reproduce. If you only look at the "essence" through the biological point of view, dear pope, you along with the other european priests are also destroying such essence because you're not serving your function, biologically.
M. Demicoli
Dec 22nd 2012, 12:57
If i'm not mistaken you're misinterpreting the biological function of living organisms.. As it is normally found to be as.. (organisms to reproduce) in order to give rise to new offsprings. Where as a result homosexual sex doesn't fit the biological function of organisms in nature, since no offsprings can be produced. !
M.D,
Jonathan McBee
Dec 22nd 2012, 14:56
In reply to M. Demicoli.
I believe you have not understood Dieter Micallef's comment. He is pointing out that if, for the Church, we are only men and women for the sake of reproduction, and it's a sin to not use that, then the Pope and all others taking up vows of chastity are also guilty of the very sin they are attacking gay people for.
Incidentally, I believe people go above such base needs.
Ken Cowan
Jan 3rd, 12:20
Well, Mr Demicoli, nobody says that straight people who marry and have sex with NO intention of having children should be refused the right to marry.
A little LOGIC to your argument would go a long way.
if children MUST have a mother and father - then take kids away from widows and all single parents! At least be logical in your prejudices!
William Tabone
Dec 22nd 2012, 08:31
Why not speak about the cover up child abuse cases then.
William Tabone
Dec 22nd 2012, 09:57
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2010/03/24/pope-sexual-abuse-lawrence-murphy_n_512483.html
Lucienne Dimech
Dec 22nd 2012, 08:19
Just another speech to push more away from the church. Very well spoken Benedict if that's what you want to achieve. Just around Xmas it's very thoughtful of you to exclude those who were also created by your same God.
James Doyle
Dec 22nd 2012, 04:48
Make sure you dont turn out the way it is in the U.K.. Have a look at Mag-Christian Concern if you dont think homosexual marriage is a threat to society think again .Over here our media is full of homosexual propaganda. You cant turn on the T.V.without coming across homosexual presenters who want to put their views across I cannot understand, why want to get married in a church they dont attend,?
Ken Cowan
Jan 3rd, 12:24
Who says they want to get married in a Church?
Gays are asking for the right to marry - period. But YOU and other bigots keep forgetting that secular marriages exist too.You also seem to have a problem understanding the true nature of Constitutional equality... but hey, one has to be able to REASON before understanding, n'est-ce pas?
Carmelo Aquilina
Dec 22nd 2012, 04:32
ah celibacy is Ok but being gay is not...go figure !
Ken Cowan
Jan 3rd, 12:27
If the only reason for sex is to have children, then all straight couples have to become celibate as soon as their wives reach menopause, right? But the Church never insists on celibacy for couples who are not able to create children, does it?
That is called (politely) false-logic, and less politely, hypocrisy.
Charles Grixti
Dec 22nd 2012, 02:31
What a fancy place to sit and pontificate. Apparently, gay marriage is a sin but ostentacious wealth is not. Go figure.
"When freedom to be creative becomes the freedom to create oneself, then necessarily the Maker himself is denied and ultimately man too is stripped of his dignity as a creature of God," Pope Benedict said. What a load of horseradishes!
Ganni Borg
Dec 22nd 2012, 00:12
Fully agree with not allowing adoption of children - completely disagree with not allowing same-sex marriage. Everyone has a right to love and be loved in a God-ordained manner, hetero, gay or whatever.
Jonathan McBee
Dec 22nd 2012, 14:58
Because no heterosexual couples ever turned out a homosexual child, right? And no heterosexual person ever abused a child either. Yep ...
L Zerafa
Dec 21st 2012, 23:26
Speaks the person with no experience of romantic relationships.
Ivan Scicluna
Dec 21st 2012, 23:14
Next.........
Anthony Galea
Dec 21st 2012, 21:27
And the usual experts on the comments board strike again!
Ah well.
Go Benedict!
Karl Consiglio
Dec 21st 2012, 20:32
Pope should mind his own business.
Emmanuel Scerri
Dec 21st 2012, 19:19
what a sick society indeed. Makes me wonder what the story on the emperors clothes was all about. If you readers cannot make the connection I am sorry i cannot explain it better.
Paul Caruana
Dec 21st 2012, 19:15
I find the concept of gay marriage as a threat to world peace rather odd. After all, gay marriage is a relatively new phenomenon: lack of world peace unfortunately is not. So why link the two?
S. Calleja
Dec 21st 2012, 19:10
Sounds more like an attack on gays rather than on gay marriages...
Neil Dent
Dec 21st 2012, 19:20
That's exactly what it is.
Emmanuel Scerri
Dec 21st 2012, 19:23
Why it hurts you, maybe because we have a pope who knows what he is doing - - go have a life
anthony sultana
Dec 21st 2012, 19:05
This pope is not smart at all, maybe due to his age.Mother nature create gays, not the gays created gays.He doesn't understand the fact of life.Because they get married it's not going to make any different to nobody,married is just a contract on papers nothing else.
CHARLES MUSCAT
Dec 21st 2012, 18:26
Do not blame the Pope; he is only affirming God's word. If you have any doubt about it, read your bible, especially the letters of Paul.
Ms. P.M Graham
Dec 21st 2012, 18:35
Blame is possibly not quite the word I would use, but when we are living in a time with so much corruption, violence, disease and poverty, I think his Peace message could have been used in a less discriminatory fashion. Gay marriages don't affect peace.
Robert Callus
Dec 21st 2012, 18:44
How about gay teenagers who happen to be gay reading the bible telling them they're "intrinsically disordered"? Doesn't he care about the psychological trauma and the unnecessary feelings of guilt and confusion these people go through?
Elayne Cuschieri
Dec 22nd 2012, 12:41
I'm very sure that God didn't want to see the church end up like this. The abuse fiasco all around the world and the way they manipulate and brainwash people. They live ridiculously in luxury when they can help the poor. But they expect the people who actually work for their money to help the poor. God knows how many people in Malta gave their wealth to the "church". Church = bonafide mafia
Charles Bayliss
Dec 22nd 2012, 20:45
The Bible of today is not loyal to the original bible in Hebrew. Dear Mr Muscat, try and read the original version of the Bible then you can comment. Not even Christ ever condemned Gay people during his 33 years on earth.
Ms. P.M Graham
Dec 21st 2012, 18:14
His annual PEACE MESSAGE?????
That truly says it all!!
Neil Dent
Dec 21st 2012, 18:00
Unbelievable. What an anachronism this Pope is. A throwback to the dark ages.
Andreas Moser
Dec 21st 2012, 17:45
If the Pope is against same-sex marriage, I have some advice for him: Don't marry another man.
End of story. Easy peasy.
But leave the rest of us alone.
Charles Bayliss
Dec 22nd 2012, 20:48
He is married to Jesus Christ. It says all.
Robert Callus
Dec 21st 2012, 17:21
Church teaching holds that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered"
Doesn't it care about how people feel? Any notice of how such statements hurt and psychologically damage closeted gays who are also Catholic? Why force them to choose between their religion and being themselves? This is inhumane.
http://robertcallus.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/you-call-it-liberal-i-call-it-humane/
Matthew Vella
Dec 21st 2012, 17:06
I cannot understand this. Gay couples don't want to (and can't) in any way affect Christian marriage. That's an institution no couple would want to impose on beliefs.
But why are civil same-sex marriages an issue? If openly god-hating atheist couples who don't want to have children can get married legally, why can't same sex couples?
L Zerafa
Dec 21st 2012, 20:31
For once, I agree with you Mr. Vella.
Raymond Sacco
Dec 21st 2012, 17:02
Gay marriage was a threat to world peace, he said! And he didn't explain how and why! Between 1914 and 1945, gays had no rights, not even to declare their sexual orientation, and religion was a very strong principle in the heart of every European, yet more than 200 million lives were slaughtered in two world wars!
Mr mario aquilina
Dec 21st 2012, 16:45
Have you every been to the hardware store and bought a bolt without a nut! What good is one without the other.
Chris Gatt
Dec 21st 2012, 18:16
How nice to equate the human experience to a nut and bolt. I am sure that is how married couples think of themselves. LOL
Raymond Sacco
Dec 21st 2012, 16:33
Look who's talking about manipulation! Very warm Christmas greetings of peace to all gays from the Vatican.
M Abdilla
Dec 21st 2012, 16:30
This is shameful...it is clear that the Pope has no idea of science.
Raymond Sacco
Dec 21st 2012, 16:43
Actualy, he has no idea of life.
R Saliba
Dec 21st 2012, 16:19
how can he say that Gay marraige is a threat to world peace? what does that have anything to do with world peace? everyone should be given the right to make their own choices and nobody should get in another's way.
why can't Gay people be happy like every other couple? last time I checked, broken families still exist even if they are built on the traditional 'format' - man, woman and children
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