Benedict XVI breaks silence: intro to new volume in an anthology series – includes thoughts on “same-sex unions”

I recall a time when I was genuinely eager for the rumored release of papal documents.  They would come out and I would read them carefully looking for the good stuff.

These days I don’t have that zeal and I admit that, when I look at them, I brace myself against what I hope I won’t find, but know that I will.

Today I saw a headline that an anthology – third in a series – of some of Benedict XVI’s writings was published on something that deeply concerned him over many years – the identity of Europe.  This volume includes thoughts about a burning issue: same-sex marriage.

Mind you, we had just heard Francis during the latest airplane chat effectively approve of same-sex marriages.

Hmmm… did he know this book was coming out, so to speak?  The article, below, says Francis penned the Forward, available in Italian HERE.   For a rather grim view of Francis’ plane presser, in Italian, HERE.

If you have Italian, check out Benedict’s Introduction in the 16 Sept Il Foglio.   The book is
La vera Europa. Identità e missione published by Cantagalli.

A news summary from CNA:

Benedict XVI: Legalization of same-sex marriage is ‘a distortion of conscience’

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said that the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries is “a distortion of conscience” which has also entered some Catholic circles.

In an introduction to a new anthology of his writings on Europe, Benedict XVI said that “with the legalization of ‘same-sex marriage’ in 16 European countries, the issue of marriage and family has taken on a new dimension that cannot be ignored.”

“We are witnessing a distortion of conscience which has evidently penetrated deeply into sectors of the Catholic people,” the pope emeritus wrote. “This cannot be answered with some small moralism or even with some exegetical reference. The problem goes deeper and therefore must be addressed in fundamental terms.”

The introduction, published in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio on Sept. 16, was written for the Italian book “The Real Europe: Identity and Mission.”
[..]

The pope emeritus wrote that the fundamental upheaval of this idea was introduced with the invention of the contraceptive pill and the possibility it gave of separating fertility from sexuality.

“This separation means, in fact, that in this way all of the forms of sexuality are equivalent,” he said. “A fundamental criterion no longer exists.”

[…]

That last bit it important.  This is the goal of the homosexualist agenda and all who promote it: separate sex from procreation.  Once you do that, anything goes… including lowering the age of consent.

Read the whole thing there.

 

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Benedict XVI, One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, The future and our choices and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

8 Comments

  1. Venerator Sti Lot says:

    Thank you for this!

    Unhandily, Cantagalli does not seem to list the contents on their website, nor does the Italian Amazon have a handy ‘Look inside’ feature for it – perhaps both will be added… I do not quickly find that Ignatius Press lists it as ‘forthcoming’, either – but that seems a likely possibility.

  2. JacobWall says:

    CNA gives a small quote from P. Francis’ forward, but enough to hint a tone and style:

    “Benedict XVI is not afraid to denounce, over the years, with great courage and foresight the many manifestations of this dramatic renunciation of the idea of creation, up to the current, final consequences, described in an absolutely clear and convincing way in the introductory text.”

    This is not the voice of Pope Francis. I wonder who the ghost writer is?

  3. teomatteo says:

    ” If ya can’t get marriage right, ya can’t get nuth’n right”.
    —Me, aug 2013

  4. donato2 says:

    The La Nuova Bussola piece really puts it well concerning the present pontificate.

  5. Pingback: Zap Big Pulpit – Big Pulpit

  6. Jones says:

    The first people to separate sex from procreation were heterosexuals, through contraception.

    [You might want to think about that for a while.]

  7. Pingback: SATVRDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

  8. donato2 says:

    The comment of Jones is correct at the level of legality:

    “The first people for whom sex was separated legally from procreation were heterosexuals, through the legalization of contraception.” The US Supreme Court mandated the legalization of contraception in 1965, long before it mandated the legality of sodomy (that happened in 2003). The former led to the latter, destroying the rights of the unborn and the instituion of marriage along the way.

Comments are closed.