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Showing posts with the label Eastern Orthodox Church

One of Pope’s 9 advisor Cardinals proposes ‘liturgical’ blessings of homosexual unions

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Cardinal Reinhard Marx , chairman of the German Episcopal Conference and close advisor of Pope Francis , has told the German media that “one must encourage priests” to give encouragement to homosexual unions, which could include public blessings that would take a “liturgical” form. THE BIBLE STATES HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN NOT TO BE BLESSED Marx was asked in a radio  interview  yesterday why the Catholic Church “does not always move forward when it comes to demands from some Catholics regarding, for example, the ordination of female deacons, the blessing of homosexual couples, or the abolition of compulsory celibacy [for priests].” Marx responded that “closer pastoral care ” must be given to homosexuals, adding that “one must also encourage priests and pastoral workers to give people in concrete situations [of homosexual unions] encouragement. I do not really see any problems there.” This “encouragement” might include some sort of “liturgical” recognition of their union,

Romanian Orthodox metropolitan urges faithful to sign petition against redefining marriage

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English: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour over Moscow River. Moscow (Russia). Français : La Cathédrale du Christ-Sauveur de Moscou, en Russie. Polski: Cerkiew Chrystusa Zbawiciela nad rzeką Moskwą. Moskwa (Rosja). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The spiritual leader of Romania has called for Christians to change the country's constitution to explicitly support marriage properly understood. Patriarch Daniel issued an encyclical urging, "Orthodox believers must support the Church's effort to protect the natural, traditional, and universal family." The Orthodox leader added that Christians must "resist some new family models that consider the natural man-woman union only one model among others." Every year at this time, Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany, the baptism of Christ, and bless holy water for use throughout the year. Parish priests go from house to house, blessing the homes of the faithful. This year, clergy used the occasion to ask folks

Churches embracing homosexuality prepare members to accept the Anti-Christ: Russian Orthodox leader

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Churches that have deemed homosexuality morally acceptable have rejected Christianity and are preparing their followers to accept the Anti-Christ , according to one of the leading figures in the Russian Orthodox Church . His statement came as the Russian Orthodox Church announced that it is ending "formal contacts" with the United Protestant Church of France and the Church of Scotland over those churches' abandonment of traditional Christian sexual morality. In its statement, the church said ecumenical dialogue was pointless after France's United Protestant Church last month voted to allow pastors to officiate at same-sex "marriages" and the Church of Scotland approved ordaining clergy who are in same-sex civil unions. "The Russian Orthodox Church holds the firm position based on Holy Scriptures and has repeatedly declared that [homosexual 'marriage' is] inadmissible for moral teaching," the statement reads. Churches that offer to

African Pastors say NO - to homosexual marriage

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Choir in Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Brisbane, Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) One of those named, Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia , is the head of a small but historically significant minority branch of Catholicism , the head of the Ethiopian Catholic Church . Archbishop Souraphiel is the patriarch of the Ge’ez Rite of the Church, which represents Catholic Christians in some of the most embattled places in the world, including Eritrea, Jerusalem, and Somalia, where Christians are regularly targeted by Islamic extremist militias. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Ethiopia and punishable with one to fifteen years in prison. Archbishop Souraphiel was a signatory to a letter, also signed by the heads of the Ethiopian Orthodox and Anglican Churches, to ask for a constitutional prohibition on homosexual activity. At a conference in 2008, Catholic and Protestant churches formed a national task force called the Ethiopia

Lesbians force their relationship on Christian B&B owner operator

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The owners of a guesthouse who refused to let a lesbian couple share a bed are standing firm despite threats. Karen and Michael Ruskin, of Pilgrim Planet Lodge, in central Whangarei , say they have received death threats and verbal abuse over their stance on homosexuality. But they say they will not have their beliefs silenced, even if it puts their business at risk. Lesbian couple Jane Collison, 30, and Paula Knight, 45, decided not to stay at the lodge on May 7 after being told they could only have a room with single beds. They had booked online a room with a king-sized bed but Mrs Ruskin said that when the couple arrived they were told the lodge's policy was for same-sex couples to be put into a room with two king-single beds. The engaged couple decided not to stay but could not find other accommodation until they got to Waipu . Mrs Ruskin said she was sorry for the couple's inconvenience but was standing firm on her morals and the sanctity of her home. The Ruskins live in

‘Moscow is not Sodom’: Orthodox Christians disrupt illegal ‘gay pride’ demo in front of city council

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ru:Храм Христа Спасителя в Москве en: Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) MOSCOW, Russia ,  May 30, 2012 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - Orthodox Christians blocked an attempt Sunday by homosexuals to demonstrate outside of the Moscow City Council in response to the city’s ongoing refusal to permit a “gay pride” parade within its jurisdiction. Calling the event “ Gay Pride 2012,” despite the ban, protesters held rainbow flags and signs, and made declarations to the media. At least one wore a Wicca symbol on her neck. According to video posted on YouTube by march supporters, Orthodox activists disrupted the event by snatching the signs from the protesters, and even splashing holy water on them.  Some scuffled with demonstrators and took swings at them, although there were no reports of injuries. Moscow police followed up by arresting the homosexual protesters, although some Orthodox were arrested as well. Pro-family activist Dmitry Tsariono

Orthodox leaders urge Ontario gvmt to scrap gay rights bill

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TORONTO, Ontario , May 15, 2012  - Leaders of Ontario’s 250,000 Orthodox Christians took aim at bullying in the province’s schools on Monday – starting with the government’s proposed Bill 13, the Accepting School Act. A clergy delegation appeared as witnesses before the Standing Committee on Social Policy at Queen’s Park, charging that the government’s anti-bullying legislation virtually ignores most bullying victims in schools, while at the same time targeting traditional religious groups for censure. “ Statistics Canada data on bullying and violence indicates that bullying against religious groups is more than twice as common as bullying against self-identified gays and lesbians,” noted Father Geoffrey Korz, Orthodox Dean of Ontario and chief presented to the Queen’s Park committee. He was joined by Father William Makarenko, former Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada , and supported by Father John Koulouras of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, a

Russian Orthodox Church calls for nationwide ban on homosexualist propaganda aimed at minors

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Image via Wikipedia March 13, 2012 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - Officials of the Russian Orthodox Church are hailing a new law signed recently by St. Petersburg governor Georgy Poltavchenko , which prohibits homosexualist propaganda targeting minors, and asking that it be extended to the whole country. “The law passed in St. Petersburg will help protect children from information manipulations by minorities promoting sodomy,” said Dimitri Pershin, a Russian Orthodox priest and expert with the State Duma Committee on Family, Women, and Children, in an interview with the Russian news agency Interfax. “The persistence of sexual minorities and their intention to rally near children’s establishments indicate that this regional law is highly needed and should be urgently given federal status,” Pershin said, referring to homosexualist activist Nikolay Alexeyev ’s stated intention to organize rallies near children’s establishments to protest the new law. Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for Moscow’s