"Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights organisation Stonewall, said: ?At a time when 50,000 families in Britain are homeless and a billion people across the world live on less than a dollar a day, it?s extraordinary that Archbishops are worrying about the family arrangements of a few thousands gay people.
?We assume that Roman Catholic congregations will take as much notice of the instruction to marginalise gay people?s relationships as they do of the regular instruction they receive not to use birth control.? "
pretty much sums it up!
I was raised Catholic. After a while, I realised that I agreed with the church on very little so as an adult stopped attending Mass. However, I have friends who are Catholic, don't believe in many of the Vatican views but still attend Church. I know some lovely and dedicated priests who are not paedophiles and when my daughter died, I did want a Catholic funeral and burial for her. The local priest made it clear that we didn't have to have a Mass but we felt that it was was the best way to give her back to God, so we had a Mass. Two months after she died, I attended midnight Mass for Christmas with dh and the boys and was struck by the sense of community. Other times I have attended Mass, I have been struck by the inclusiveness shown by the local priests, the feeling that all are welcome, and the recognition that with regard to marriage, well, sometimes things don't go as planned.
But sad to say, priest like these never get to be bishops.