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Right-wing Catholics interrupt Mass for LGBTQ World Youth Day pilgrims
NEWS (https://www.ncronline.org/sections/news)
(https://www.ncronline.org/files/2023-08/8.4.23%20WYD%20crowd.jpg)
Pope Francis, on stage, looks over the procession of flags from the all the countries represented by young people participating in World Youth Day during the event's welcome ceremony at Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 3. (CNS/Vatican Media)
(https://www.ncronline.org/files/styles/media_thumbnail/public/authors/IMG_7685.jpg?h=d6db3ce6)BY CHRISTOPHER WHITE
Vatican Correspondent
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Lisbon, Portugal — August 4, 2023
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The same day Pope Francis told (https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/make-room-everyone-church-pope-francis-tells-young-people-portugal) half a million Catholics gathered in the Portuguese capital for a major youth festival that the church must be a home for everyone, ultra-traditionalist Catholics interrupted a Mass for LGBTQ pilgrims in protest of the organizer's efforts to put the pope's message into action.
When some two dozen Catholics gathered for Mass on Aug. 3 at the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation here in Lisbon, a group of protesters began to chant (https://visao.pt/atualidade/sociedade/jornadamundialdajuventude/2023-08-03-grupo-de-catolicos-invade-em-protesto-eucaristia-da-comunidade-lgbt-da-jmj/) "a reparatory prayer" in an effort to disrupt the gathering.
According to noted British theologian Fr. James Alison (https://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/2/16788/-this-is-pope-francis-calling-), an openly gαy priest who was one of three concelebrants of the Mass, the group of a dozen protesters wore long mantillas and held crucifixes and increasingly raised their voices in an effort to drown out the priests and congregants during Mass.
Police who had already been notified of a potential disturbance were soon on the scene to escort the protesters out of the church, and the Mass continued without further incident. Alison told NCR that the interruption highlights the challenges that LGBTQ Catholics face in trying to practice their faith.
Those roadblocks began several days earlier, when the organizers of the Mass, the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics and a local Portuguese LGBTQ Catholic group, had to scramble to find a new location to hold the Mass after their original hosts grew anxious after calls for protests began to circulate online.
Much of the protesters' motivation, Alison said, was their mistaken belief that Jesuit Fr. James Martin (https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/news/pope-francis-invites-top-us-allies-cupich-mcelroy-fr-james-martin-among) would concelebrate the Mass. While Martin — a prominent LGBTQ Catholic advocate — had been in Portugal for Jesuit-related events ahead of World Youth Day, he had already left (https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1687419288083128320?s=20) the country.
Despite the forced change of venue and the interruption, Alison said that he has no ill will toward the protesters.
"I was terribly sorry to see these people who have been led to this terrible ideology of hatred," he said. "They live in a weird, alienated world and did not look happy. We were principally sad for them."
"I don't blame them," Alison added. "I blame the intellectual authors who seem to bear the responsibility for this."
Alison said that the fact that the protest occurred on the same days that Francis — who arrived in Portugal Aug. 2 for a five-day visit for World Youth Day — used (https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/make-room-everyone-church-pope-francis-tells-young-people-portugal) three speeches to repeatedly emphasize that everyone has a home in the Catholic Church, showed that the Mass for LGBTQ Catholics was "clearly in line with the Holy Father's message."
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Since the start of his pontificate in 2013, Francis has walked a tightrope (https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican-says-priests-cant-bless-gαy-couples-why-did-pope-francis-approve-decree) on LGBTQ issues — continuing to uphold traditional church teaching, which prohibits gαy relations, while repeatedly offering calls for everyone to be welcomed in the church and personally befriending a number of openly gαy Catholics.
On Aug. 4, the Spanish Catholic news weekly, Vida Nueva, published (https://www.vidanuevadigital.com/sumario/revista-3329/) an interview with Francis, in which the pope reflected on his meetings (https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-meets-transgender-guests-rome-church) with transgender people.
"The first time a group of transsɛҳuąƖs came to the Vatican and they saw me, they came out crying, saying that I had given them a hand, a kiss … as if I had done something exceptional with them," he told the magazine. "But they are daughters of God!"
Good one!
The Pope is the guardian of dogma and of morals; he is the custodian of the principles that make families sound, nations great, souls holy; he is the counsellor of princes and of peoples; he is the head under whom no one feels tyrannized because he represents God Himself; he is the supreme father who unites in himself all that may exist that is loving, tender, divine.
It seems incredible, and is even painful, that there be priests to whom this recommendation must be made, but we are regrettably in our age in this hard, unhappy, situation of having to tell priests: love the Pope!
And how must the Pope be loved? Non verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veritate. [Not in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth - 1 Jn iii, 18] When one loves a person, one tries to adhere in everything to his thoughts, to fulfill his will, to perform his wishes. And if Our Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself, "si quis diligit me, sermonem meum servabit," [if any one love me, he will keep my word - Jn xiv, 23] therefore, in order to demonstrate our love for the Pope, it is necessary to obey him.
Therefore, when we love the Pope, there are no discussions regarding what he orders or demands, or up to what point obedience must go, and in what things he is to be obeyed; when we love the Pope, we do not say that he has not spoken clearly enough, almost as if he were forced to repeat to the ear of each one the will clearly expressed so many times not only in person, but with letters and other public docuмents; we do not place his orders in doubt, adding the facile pretext of those unwilling to obey - that it is not the Pope who commands, but those who surround him; we do not limit the field in which he might and must exercise his authority; we do not set above the authority of the Pope that of other persons, however learned, who dissent from the Pope, who, even though learned, are not holy, because whoever is holy cannot dissent from the Pope.
This is the cry of a heart filled with pain, that with deep sadness I express, not for your sake, dear brothers, but to deplore, with you, the conduct of so many priests, who not only allow themselves to debate and criticize the wishes of the Pope, but are not embarrassed to reach shameless and blatant disobedience, with so much scandal for the good and with so great damage to souls.
Saint Pius X
Allocution Vi ringrazio to priests on the 50th anniversary of the Apostolic Union
November 18, 1912
Masonic Hand Sign: The Devil’s Horn
(https://i0.wp.com/veritas-vincit-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/satan_sign.gif?resize=257%2C166&ssl=1) (https://i0.wp.com/veritas-vincit-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/satan_sign.gif?ssl=1)
The devil’s horn freemason hand signal, as contained in the Satanic bible.
The “devil’s horn” signal signifies that satan rules. Remember that satan is called the “Horned God”, and the hand signal is formed so as to resemble horns.
It is a universal hand signal used by politicians, celebrities as well as heavy metal bands, affirming their allegiance to satanic powers and a visual shorthand for “Hail, Satan.” The devil’s hand has been observed and photographed around the world, used by George Bush, Bill Clinton, Silvio Berlusconi, Elizabeth Taylor, Prince William, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Ozzie, Avril Lavigne, Stephen Dorff, Dave Navarro and many others
Good one!
The Pope is the guardian of dogma and of morals; he is the custodian of the principles that make families sound, nations great, souls holy; he is the counsellor of princes and of peoples; he is the head under whom no one feels tyrannized because he represents God Himself; he is the supreme father who unites in himself all that may exist that is loving, tender, divine.
It seems incredible, and is even painful, that there be priests to whom this recommendation must be made, but we are regrettably in our age in this hard, unhappy, situation of having to tell priests: love the Pope!
And how must the Pope be loved? Non verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veritate. [Not in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth - 1 Jn iii, 18] When one loves a person, one tries to adhere in everything to his thoughts, to fulfill his will, to perform his wishes. And if Our Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself, "si quis diligit me, sermonem meum servabit," [if any one love me, he will keep my word - Jn xiv, 23] therefore, in order to demonstrate our love for the Pope, it is necessary to obey him.
Therefore, when we love the Pope, there are no discussions regarding what he orders or demands, or up to what point obedience must go, and in what things he is to be obeyed; when we love the Pope, we do not say that he has not spoken clearly enough, almost as if he were forced to repeat to the ear of each one the will clearly expressed so many times not only in person, but with letters and other public docuмents; we do not place his orders in doubt, adding the facile pretext of those unwilling to obey - that it is not the Pope who commands, but those who surround him; we do not limit the field in which he might and must exercise his authority; we do not set above the authority of the Pope that of other persons, however learned, who dissent from the Pope, who, even though learned, are not holy, because whoever is holy cannot dissent from the Pope.
This is the cry of a heart filled with pain, that with deep sadness I express, not for your sake, dear brothers, but to deplore, with you, the conduct of so many priests, who not only allow themselves to debate and criticize the wishes of the Pope, but are not embarrassed to reach shameless and blatant disobedience, with so much scandal for the good and with so great damage to souls.
Saint Pius X
Allocution Vi ringrazio to priests on the 50th anniversary of the Apostolic Union
November 18, 1912
It's one of my favorite!
Masonic Hand Sign: The Devil’s Horn
(https://i0.wp.com/veritas-vincit-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/satan_sign.gif?resize=257%2C166&ssl=1) (https://i0.wp.com/veritas-vincit-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/satan_sign.gif?ssl=1)
The devil’s horn freemason hand signal, as contained in the Satanic bible.
The “devil’s horn” signal signifies that satan rules. Remember that satan is called the “Horned God”, and the hand signal is formed so as to resemble horns.
It is a universal hand signal used by politicians, celebrities as well as heavy metal bands, affirming their allegiance to satanic powers and a visual shorthand for “Hail, Satan.” The devil’s hand has been observed and photographed around the world, used by George Bush, Bill Clinton, Silvio Berlusconi, Elizabeth Taylor, Prince William, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Ozzie, Avril Lavigne, Stephen Dorff, Dave Navarro and many others
Good to know.
I wouldn't put it one bit past TPTB, to take a hand sign such as that, and to retrofit an innocent, sentimental meaning onto it (a mash-up of the sign language letters ILY), such that none would be the wiser. It also gives them plausible deniability.