Church must stand firm against 'intolerant agnosticism'
Pope Benedict said today that Roman Catholic leaders must have the courage to stand up to attacks by "intolerant agnosticism" prevalent in many countries.
The Pope and the Church have come under increased attack because of their opposition to homosexual marriage and women priests. The Pope has repeatedly denounced what he says are attempts to push religion out of public debate.
The 85-year-old pontiff celebrated Mass on the day Christians in the West mark the Epiphany, and ordained four new archbishops including his personal secretary.
In a homily to about 10,000 people in St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, he firmly rejected suggestions the Church should change to suit public opinion.
"Anyone who lives and proclaims the faith of the Church is on many points out of step with the prevalent way of thinking," he said. "The approval of the prevailing wisdom, however, is not the criterion to which we submit."
In the United States, a group last month started a petition on the White House website asking the administration of President Barack Obama to list the Catholic Church as a "hate group" because of its opposition to gay marriage.
"Today's regnant agnosticism has its own dogmas and is extremely intolerant regarding anything that would question it and the criteria it employs," the Pope said.
"Therefore the courage to contradict the prevailing mindset is particularly urgent for a bishop today. He must be courageous," he said.
MONTI AT MASS
The Pope ordained the new archbishops in a ceremony attended by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, placing his hands on the heads of the four men and anointing them with holy oil to symbolise the transmission of episcopal authority.
The best known of the four new archbishops is the pontiff's chief private secretary Monsignor Georg Ganswein, who has been the closest person to Pope Benedict since his election in 2005 as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
Last month Mgr Ganswein, 56, a German like the Pope, was promoted to the job of Prefect of the Pontifical Household, a position that will significantly increase his power as the pope gets older and frailer.
As prefect, Mgr Ganswein, 56 - already one of the most recognisable and powerful figures in the papal court - will arrange all the pope's private and public audiences and his daily schedule.
And because he is expected to keep his job as chief private secretary, he will have even more power in deciding who has access to the Pope.
Mgr Ganswein was the immediate superior of Paolo Gabriele, the former papal butler who was convicted of stealing sensitive papal documents and leaking them to the media.
The secretary was the person who confronted Gabriele about papers that had gone missing. Gabriele was pardoned by the Pope last month after being sentenced to 18 months in jail for aggravated theft.
Because of the leaks scandal, Mgr Ganswein is expected to further tighten his control over Vatican personnel who have a direct connection to the papal apartments.
The other new archbishops are Angelo Vincenzo Zani, an Italian in the Vatican's department for Catholic education, Fortunatus Nwachukwu, a Nigerian who becomes the Vatican's ambassador to Nicaragua, and Nicolas Thevenin, a Frenchman who becomes ambassador to Guatemala.
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M. Hills
Jan 7th, 11:44
reply to Luke Lanzon and Chris Gatt.... Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament embraced by a male and a female with the purpose in mind of creating a family....gays can live together and form a civil partnership if they want and this will legalise inheritance of wealth passed to the surviving gay partner..but Holy Matrimony is between a male and a female to create a family...
Chris Gatt
Jan 7th, 13:31
I have no problem with what the church says about who can apply for its sacraments. I have a problem however when the church wants to impose its thinking on civil society. Also I was correcting your impression that homosexuality is not 'natural', when the evidence from nature is that homosexuality is par for the course in nature.
Luke Lanzon
Jan 7th, 14:03
So what is wrong with them if they want CIVIL I repeat CIVIL, marriage, you know no church no priests nothing HOLY about that......
Robert Callus
Jan 7th, 14:20
"Holy Matrimony" - Correct. The church (or any other religion) has every right to make its own rules for a faith marriage.
The problem is when it insists secular laws should also follow it's own rules. If you remove the "holy", matrimony is not a sacrament. In fact atheists get married too.
Xmun Gatt
Jan 7th, 10:19
That's some cheek coming from the anointed gnome. The head of an institution that for the last 2000 yrs has upheld and imposed it's own unreasonable and extraordinary claims using the charming methods of torture, physical threats, intellectual blackmail - accusing those that by definition claim to 'not know enough to accept the absurd assertions as the truth' as being extremely intolerant.
Nice.
Alfred J. McEwen
Jan 7th, 08:43
There are a hell of a lot of halos in the comments below aand a few bent ones I`ll bet
Ms. P.M Graham
Jan 7th, 08:22
The riots in Ireland, the Syrian conflict, the war being fought in Afghanistan, the poverty throughout the World, the children dying in their 1000's every day from malnutrition, orphans with no shelter, parents, family and the Pope keeps banging on about Gay Marriage. Unbelievable!!
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 7th, 08:22
Presumably the 1.2 billion figure includes those Roman Catholics who believe in divorce (as many do in Malta) and gay marriage (as many do in Australia).
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 7th, 08:13
So agnostics are intolerant. Should we, too, stand firm against intoelrant Roman Catholicism?
Gerry Cowie
Jan 6th, 23:21
Joseph Borg, it is common for people to take biblical quotes out of context. I think you know full well what was meant and you are simply trying to make capital out of it! See a priest!
Joseph Borg
Jan 6th, 19:31
@Gerry Cowie
What peace? According to the Bible Christ said that He did not come to bring peace. I was not made by anyone but I am the fruit of my parents through marriage conjugation.
Gerry Cowie
Jan 7th, 01:06
That is a very common quote to be taken out of context from the Bible! You should know better than that, Joseph! See a priest for a broader explanation of what Christ meant. You are right that you were not made by anyone - you were of course made by God with the cooperation of your dear parents. I note that you use the phrase "marriage conjugation", an unpopular phrase these days!
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 7th, 08:18
Well said, Joseph. Gerry and his mates read only those parts of the Bible that suit them.
M. Hills
Jan 6th, 19:12
Marriage is between a male and a female : a bond blessed by the Church and recognised and respected by society to help the couple have and rear children . In Nature too this is the case that a bond is formed between a male and a female intent on rearing their young.. anyone who has witnessed in documentaries how penguins and elephants behave must marvel...gay marriages and women priests no..
Luke Lanzon
Jan 6th, 20:52
Then you must have seen documentaries of gay animals as well, from various types of species.
Chris Gatt
Jan 6th, 21:13
Perhaps you are not seeingthe right documentaries. There are over 1500 different animals and insects that display homosexual behavior ( including 12 mammal species and 7 bird species) Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_displaying_homosexual_behavior and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals. Isn't nature marvelous!
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 7th, 08:19
"Today's regnant agnosticism has its own dogmas and is extremely intolerant regarding anything that would question it and the criteria it employs," the Pope said." Is the pope confusing agnosticism with Roman Catholicism, I wonder?
Gerry Cowie
Jan 6th, 18:24
Victor, my question was whether or not you're for or against the Church in which your dear parents had you baptized? What's your agenda in relation to the Church? Have you grown to love God? What drives you to comment negatively for the sake of it? Do you have a reason? You're welcome to your opinion and I should like to understand your opinion whether or not I agree with it!
Christ be with you!
Gerry Cowie
Jan 6th, 17:03
Wally, if you bothered to find out more you would not go on every newspaper story or headline! You can always be counted on to seek out a story involving the Church, illustrating clearly your own intolerance!
Victor Pulis adds his usual comment. Does he understand the concept of baptism? Was he baptized? Is he for or against the Church?
May the peace of Christ remain with you both.
Victor Pulis
Jan 6th, 17:42
I was baptised when I was about three days old. I'm one of the 1.2 billion in the books Gerry! The concept of baptism in this regard is to be counted as a catholic for the records.
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 7th, 08:16
Gerry, it is a funny peace of god that you convey onto others. I, for one, want none of it.
Albert Critien
Jan 6th, 16:08
Are we, the wicked people, finding it offensive to abide by God's law, which is nothing else but love and peace
Wally Vella-Zarb
Jan 6th, 15:25
"The Pope and the Church have come under increased attack because of their opposition to homosexual marriage and women priests"
Isn't that stand itself a prime example of "intolerance"?
Chris Gatt
Jan 6th, 15:45
Not for the first time one man's intolerance is another man's upholding principles :)
M Mallia
Jan 6th, 20:24
Like in the case of black people or the Jewish people Mr. Gatt?
Chris Gatt
Jan 6th, 23:17
@ M Mallia that's the problem with the 'interweb'. even with a smiley it is difficult to indicate sardonic :D
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 7th, 08:15
Wally, of course that is not intolerance! Not when it is practised by Roman Catholics, amongst the most intolerant believers in the world.
Albert Critien
Jan 6th, 15:13
Let us, for the sake of God who has done so much for us egoistic people that the figure mentioned is correct and carry on increasing.
Joseph Borg
Jan 6th, 14:30
I doubt about the figure of 1.2 billion . I have the feeling that this figure is no more real and the figure is much less today.
Chris Gatt
Jan 6th, 15:00
don't underestimate the importance of the African and South American continents., Although I agree that claiming that one-seventh of the world's population are followers of teh Catholic faith, maybe a bit much
Victor Pulis
Jan 6th, 15:01
The 1.2 billion are those registered as baptised. But it takes more than a cup of water poured on one's head when one's still a baby to make a good catholic.It's all a matter of statistics.
Luke Lanzon
Jan 6th, 17:08
Like Mr Pulis said I'm registered as a catholic, but believe in no god......
Gerry Cowie
Jan 6th, 18:46
I am registered as a Catholic and DO believe in God. The one true God! The one who made you! May the peace of Christ be with you - you cannot prevent that!
Chris Gatt
Jan 6th, 19:58
Gerry Cowie always amazes me how he even manages to turn a blessing into something unwanted. "May the peace of Christ be with you - you cannot prevent that". What are we now to be force-fed like geese?
Martin Saliba
Jan 6th, 20:24
Chris , that could be illegal , fois gras is illegal in many countries.
Please choose the reason of your report below: