NGLTF comments on the new Pope (They're not very pleased)

[Ian David]

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NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
MEDIA RELEASE

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April 19, 2005

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
On the Election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope

"Today, the princes of the Roman Catholic Church elected as Pope
a man whose record has been one of unrelenting, venomous hatred
for gay people, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. In fact, during the
reign of John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger was the driving force
behind a long string of pronouncements using the term 'evil' to
describe gay people, homosexuality, and marriage equality. As a
long-time Catholic from a staunchly Catholic family, I know that
the history of the church is full of shameful, centuries-long
chapters involving vilification, persecution, and violence
against others. Someday, the church will apologize to gay people
as it has to others it has oppressed in the past. I very much
doubt that this day will come during this Pope's reign. In fact,
it seems inevitable that this Pope will cause even more pain and
give his successors even more for which to seek atonement."

-Matt Foreman
Executive Director

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Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
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[GodlessBiker]

1. I couldn't give a rat'z ass who the next pope is.

[customerserviceguy]

2. With any luck

gay people will stop calling themselves "Catholic" and will stop fruitlessly hoping that this last monarchy will finally pat them on the head. When I got my divorce twenty years ago, it took me a year to realize that I really wasn't in lockstep with the church's tyranny, and I left it. Hopefully, gay and lesbian people can find pride in themselves without waiting for a pope's blessing...

[Langley85]

3. "Man of God"

Instead of these Popes talking about reaching out to all the people of the world, it would be nice to see one actually do it. Apparently we aren't included when speaking of "all the people of the world", like we're some dirty little subgroup that all righteous people oppose.

[davidinalameda]

4. sums it up pretty well

the Catholic Church is no friend of gay people

[TaleWgnDg]

5. Indeed. Take a look here . . .

.
Indeed. Take a look here . . .

1.) http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040731_collaboration_en.html . . . (hit the document "find" button with "homosexual").

This is an edict regarding homosexuals as signed by "Joseph Card. Ratzinger, Prefect" under John Paul II . . . "THE ROMAN CURIA . . . In exercising supreme, full, and immediate power in the universal Church, the Roman pontiff (John Paul II) makes use of the departments of the Roman Curia which, therefore, perform their duties in his name and with his authority for the good of the churches and in the service of the sacred pastors. CHRISTUS DOMINUS, 9" (This is a statement of Pope John Paul II stating that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as Prefect of Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 31, 2004, is writing this document u/ the authority of Pope John Paul II).

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregation_for_the_Doctrine_of_the_Faith

2.) On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, October 1, 1986 . . . again signed by JOSEPH CARDINAL RATZINGER Prefect (as #1 above).


Cardinal Joseph Alois Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI.