Australian bishop defends sinful sexual call for Catholic Church to ‘accept’ gay orientation
An Australian Catholic bishop appointed by Pope Francis is defending himself against reports that he challenged Catholic teaching on homosexuality in a lecture last month. But in a statement released today meant to set the record straight, the bishop nevertheless suggested that to “accept a person’s sexual identity” is in line with Church teaching . Meanwhile, an Australian priest has composed a detailed analysis exposing how the bishop's position "manifests serious flaws and errors". “The lecture was an effort on my part to articulate an understanding of the vision of Pope Francis of what the church is and our response to this vision in the light of the challenges we face today,” Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen of the Catholic diocese of Parramatta stated in a press release. Bishop Long said that part of Pope Francis’ vision is about “being inclusive,” which includes the “ability to create and nurture a welcoming space for all people, including those who