Warning! Your browser is extremely outdated and not web standards compliant. Your browsing experience would greatly improve by upgrading to a modern browser. Article Categories October 21, 2020 Following news reports about a statement from Pope Francis on marriage, Bishop William Joensen shares the following thoughts. In itself, the statement of the Holy Father regarding civil unions drawn from the recently produced documentary is surprising, and for many Catholics seeking to be true to Christ’s teaching, troubling. It seems that he was offering a longstanding personal opinion and not invoking his office to issue an authoritative teaching. One is led to speculate: perhaps he is simply trying to dissociate the Church’s practice of sacramental marriage between a woman and a man from those unions recognized by the state that entail social and economic benefits for individuals in households who would otherwise not be afforded them? Regardless of his intent, surely he and all Christians …
We hope he actually does seek clarification for the good of the faithful and the world. Not quite finding this statement troubling. God give him light and strength to proceed.
God has his Bishops and his people. By his grace they will act. (Eli’jah learned his lesson this time around) Romans 11:1-5 (RSVCE) Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final 11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Eli′jah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have demolished thy altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Ba′al.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.