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Meditations with Matthew Fox
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Pope Benedict vs. Signs of Our Times: Homosexuality 01/06/2023 |
When it comes to gays and Cardinal Ratzinger, I recall the time when I was invited to speak to a gathering of Dignity members (Dignity is an organization of gay Catholics) in a Catholic Church in San Francisco (I was still a Dominican
priest in good standing at the time). |
Part of my preparation for my talk was to read Cardinal Ratzinger’s two documents about gays where he says such things as “homosexuality is an intrinsic
moral evil” and an inclination to homosexuality is an “objective disorder.” And more. Feeling kicked in the gut by the ugliness and the venom in his writing, I sat down and asked myself: “What am I feeling?" The reply that
came was this: “I feel like whoever wrote this wants to see gays locked up in concentration camps.” | “Killed. Hushed up. To the homosexual victims of Nazism.” Memorial, Nollendorplatz, Berlin, Germany. Photo by Manfred Brueckels on Wikimedia Commons. |
Then it
hit me, “Oh my God, that is exactly what the Nazis of Ratzinger’s childhood did!” In neither of these ugly documents is there a single citation from science–citations from his catechism abound however. Yet homosexuality is a scientific issue, not a religious one. Condemning gays in the name of religion reminds one of the church condemning Galileo in the 17th century. Ignoring science once again, apparently, Pope Benedict learned nothing from that
episode of ignorance. |
Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins in the New York Central Park Zoo, successfully brooded and raised a hatchling together in a 6-year relationship.
Penguins are one of roughly 500 species participating in homosexual behavior. Wikimedia Commons. | Science declared in the 1970’s that homosexuality is not a disease or a choice, that about 8-10% of any given human population on earth will be gay or lesbian whether religions like it or not. And 464 other species have been discovered with gay and lesbian populations. So I guess it’s “natural” after all, albeit for a very special minority. |
I call it a “special minority” because Seneca woman and Franciscan Sister Jose Hobday taught me years ago that in her indigenous tradition “it is well known that all the spiritual directors of the
great chiefs were gay.” That gay people bring more to the spiritual table. If this is so, any organization that oppresses gays is shooting itself in the foot and depleting spiritual
energy. |
This is one of the signs of our times. Science has spoken about the wonderful diversity that the Creator and creation offer us in the arena of sexual
relationships. The fight for homosexual rights and gay marriage is one of the signs of our times. | A brief exploration of the history and recognition of the sacred intertribal “two-spirit” (LGBTQIA) tradition of Turtle
Island. |
Once again, Benedict XVI turned his back on science and the signs of our times and in given a position of such power as the papacy holds, reinforced hatred toward gay and lesbian people. |
| To view today's video, please click the image. You will be taken to today's post on the Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox website, where you can see the meditation in a larger version and also view and post your Comments. In the sharing that follows, a kind of community is developing around the DM.
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If you can't reach Matthew's video on the website, try his Vimeo channel HERE. |
See Matthew Fox, Confessions: The Making of a Post-denominational Priest, pp. 142f., 202, 255f., 345f., 355, 382. And Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved, pp. 7, 89, 93, 129, 136, 152, 164, 226, 232. Banner Image: Czestochowa Pride-Parade, 16 June 2019, Photo by Silar on Wikimedia Commons. The artist who created the painting was arrested as the LGBT rights movement finds itself targeted by hate speech and a government campaign depicting it as a threat to families and society. Learn more HERE. |
Queries for Contemplation Has your attitude toward homosexuality and homosexuals evolved in your lifetime? What brought that evolution about for you? |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest (Revised/Updated
Edition) Matthew Fox’s stirring autobiography, Confessions, reveals his personal, intellectual, and spiritual journey from altar boy, to Dominican priest, to his eventual break with the Vatican. Five new chapters in this revised and updated edition bring added perspective in light of the author’s continued journey, and his
reflections on the current changes taking place in church, society and the environment.
“The unfolding story of this irrepressible spiritual revolutionary enlivens the mind and emboldens the heart — must reading for anyone interested in courage, creativity, and the future of religion.”
—Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self | |
The Pope's War: Why Ratzinger's Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved
The Pope’s War offers a provocative look at three decades of corruption in the Catholic Church, focusing on Josef Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The final section in the book focuses on birthing a truly catholic christianity.
"This book should be read by
everybody, not only for its ferocious courage, but also for its vision for what needs to be saved from the destructive forces that threaten authentic Christianity." ~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope. “In the gripping The Pope’s War, Matthew Fox takes an unwavering look at the layers of corruption in the Catholic Church, holding
moral truth against power.” — Jason Berry, author of Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as the Center for Contemporary Mysticism hosts him in a Conversation on “Creation Spirituality: Birthing a New World.” Sunday, January 8, 2023, 11 am PT
(UTC/GMT-7). Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox at the virtual Our Lady of the Prairie retreat, offering a discussion and Q&A on “Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God…Including the Unnameable
God.” Thursday, January 19, 4:00pm-6:00pm PT. Register HERE. Creation Spirituality Conversations |
In a podcast episode with the Earth and Spirit Center, Matthew Fox reflects on how creation-centered spirituality, and the marriage of the divine feminine and sacred masculine, can help us respond with hope
to the troubles of our apocalyptic times. Listen HERE. | |
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