When The Pope Comes To Philadelphia

Philadelphia's blogs are chattering about security measures and road closures slated for when Pope Francis visits at the end of September.

As far as the city is concerned, no-vehicle boundaries will likely fall as such: Girard to Ridge to Spring Garden to the north, South Street to the south, the Delaware River to the east and 38th Street to the west. Basically, “no vehicles in greater center city/ucity,” the source said. “That’s why we’ve been calling it the traffic box. No traffic.” West Philly boundaries remain a bit hazy for city planners, but they do know a Pope fence will go up around the Parkway, probably from the Art Museum to City Hall, about two blocks wide on either side. “Pretend it’s a blizzard,” the source said. “Nothing functions normally during a blizzard.” Here’s what that would look like, with the red area representing the fence that will be put up and the black area representing the full security boundaries. It’s still being worked out what those boundaries might mean for residents. Papal event consultants confirmed to PlanPhilly that the Ben Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia and New Jersey will be shut down, and they’ve even made suggestions that the city should, for some period of time, shut down I-95.

City planners are bracing for crowds of up to 1.5 million over the weekend. Residents of the affected areas have reportedly been told they should "plan to walk miles" to reach their usual destinations. The majority of the city's rail system will be dedicated to express shuttles for papal worshipers and most regular stops will be bypassed. Craigslist is already seeing home rental listings for as much as $25,000 for the three-day papal visit. One optimistic fellow is asking $10K for his one bedroom apartment.

Third Eagle Of Apocalypse: Vatican Logo Secretly Promotes Gay Marriage

Pope Francis To Meet Married Gay Activist

Pope Francis will hold his first-ever meeting with a married gay activist during a visit to Paraguay next month.

The activist is Simón Cazal, executive director of the Paraguayan LGBT rights group SOMOSGAY, who married another SOMOSGAY activist, Sergio López, in neighboring Argentina in 2012. Though the pope has reportedly held pastoral meetings with some LGBT people, this meeting marks the first time he will publicly meet with an LGBT political activist. Cazal received an invitation on June 4 from the committee of the Paraguayan bishops’ conference to participate in a roundtable with the pope and civil society leaders. The invitation — provided to BuzzFeed News by SOMOSGAY — said it was extended in recognition of the “high impact of your organization on Paraguayan society.” The meeting will be held on July 11 in the capital, Asunción.

SOMOSGAY says the invitation to meet with the pope came as a surprise as they had not requested an audience during the papal visit. Paraguay currently does not offer any legal protections to its LGBT citizens and a constitutional ban on same-sex unions was enacted in 1992. Homosexuality has been legal there since 1880.

Twitter Exchange Of The Day

Pope Francis To Visit White House

Via White House press release:

The President and the First Lady will welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the White House on Wednesday, September 23. During the visit, the President and the Pope will continue the dialogue, which they began during the President’s visit to the Vatican in March 2014, on their shared values and commitments on a wide range of issues, including caring for the marginalized and the poor; advancing economic opportunity for all; serving as good stewards of the environment; protecting religious minorities and promoting religious freedom around the world; and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities. The President looks forward to continuing this conversation with the Holy Father during his first visit to the United States as Pope.

Something seems to be missing from that list of topics.

ITALY: Pope Dines With LGBT Inmates

Vatican Accepts Resignation Of Cardinal Who Confessed To Sex With Priests

Via the Huffington Post:

Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who was accused of sexually harassing several men in a scandal that exploded on the eve of the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, has renounced the “rights and privileges” of his office but gets to keep his prestigious title, the Vatican announced Friday (March 20). O’Brien did not take part in the March 2013 conclave and now he will be barred from any future conclaves; at age 77, he would have lost his voting eligibility at age 80. Francis had been under pressure to take some action against O’Brien since one of his victims revealed that an internal church report on O’Brien had been sent to Rome and was “hot enough to burn the varnish” off the pope’s desk. At least five men – three priests, a former priest and a former seminarian – accused O’Brien of either sexually harassing them or pressuring them into sex, in allegations that went back to the 1980s. O’Brien was accused of being sexually active up through at least 2009.

Following the initial accusations, Bill Donohue declared that O'Brien was the target of false charges from the "lavender mafia." And then O'Brien confessed: "In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anonymous and non-specific nature led me to contest them. However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal. To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness."

Two weeks after that murky confession, the Scotland Herald revealed that O'Brien's chief accuser had been his long-term boyfriend. In August 2013 it was revealed that O'Brien had thwarted investigations into sexual abuses committed by priests under his command. And yet he gets to keep his red hat. Take that shocked look off your face.

Pope To Lunch With LGBT Prisoners

Via the National Catholic Reporter:

Pope Francis reportedly will have lunch Saturday with about 90 prisoners, including 10 from a prison ward for transgender and gay prisoners and those who suffer from AIDS, as part of a visit to the southern Italian city of Naples. The prisoners won their spots after a raffle among some 1,900 detainees, according to a report posted late Tuesday on the Italian news website Vatican Insider. That article refers to a separate report made on the matter by Tv2000, an Italian television network operated by the country's Catholic bishops' conference and known for broadcasting most papal events. According to the Vatican Insider report, the pontiff's lunch with the prisoners will be cooked by the prisoners themselves and will include detainees from two nearby institutions.

(Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

Pope Francis Hints At Brief Papacy

On the second anniversary of his assuming the papacy, yesterday Pope Francis indicated that he may retire relatively soon.

"I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief. Four or five years; I do not know, even two or three," he said. He praised Pope Benedict's decision to step aside in 2013 as "courageous". "Benedict should not be considered an exception, but an institution. Maybe he will be the only one for a long time, maybe he will not be the only one. "But an institutional door has been opened," he told the Televisa channel. Pope Francis has hinted in the past that he could retire, but said he was opposed to the idea of an age limit for leaders of the Catholic Church.

The pope added that he longs to go out for a pizza without being recognized.

LGBT Catholics Speak Out

From the Owning Our Faith site:

The goals of this project are to foster dialogue about and encourage greater inclusion and acceptance of LGBT people in the Church. In October 2014, Pope Francis convened a synod of bishops to discuss issues of the family within the Catholic Church, including the topic of homosexuality. The Pope has encouraged ongoing conversation on these topics in preparation for the Ordinary Synod on the Family, set to take place in October 2015. We want our stories to be a part of the discussion because LGBT people have unique gifts to contribute to the life of the Church. We hope the Church recognizes that God is working through our life stories. We want to inspire change that will strengthen families, encourage acceptance of LGBT people, foster an inclusive community, and promote an open and accepting dialogue among Catholics across the world. Most of all, we want everyone to know they are loved and not alone.

Pope Francis: Transgender People Destroy God's Creation Like Nuclear Weapons

"Let's think of the nuclear arms, of the possibility to annihilate in a few instants a very high number of human beings.  Let's think also of genetic manipulation, of the manipulation of life, or of the gender theory, that does not recognize the order of creation. With this attitude, man commits a new sin, that against God the Creator. The true custody of creation does not have anything to do with the ideologies that consider man like an accident, like a problem to eliminate. God has placed man and woman and the summit of creation and has entrusted them with the earth. The design of the Creator is written in nature." - Pope Francis, in an interview with Italian journalists.

Gay Catholics Receive Vatican Welcome

Sort of. The Associated Press reports:

The Vatican did something it has never done before by giving a group of U.S. gay and lesbian Catholics VIP seats at Pope Francis' weekly general audience Wednesday. But in a sign that the welcome wasn't all it could have been, the New Ways Ministry pilgrims were only identified on the Vatican's list of attendees as a "group of lay people accompanied by a Sister of Loretto." And not even that got announced: When a Vatican monsignor read out the list of the different groups of pilgrims in attendance in St. Peter's Square, he skipped over the group altogether. Francis didn't mention them, either. Even without a papal shout-out, New Ways Ministry officials were nevertheless pleased that they had been invited to sit up front by Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, the prefect of the papal household who dispenses the coveted reserved tickets for Francis' audiences.

Pope Francis: It's Selfish Not To Have Kids

Via NPR:

Pope Francis said that couples who opt not to have children are being "selfish" as he spoke of a "greedy generation" that's choosing not to procreate. The pontiff's remarks come just weeks after he seemed to send a contradictory message, telling Catholics that they don't need to breed "like rabbits." Speaking at his general audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, Francis talked on the joy of children and their importance in society, at one point reminiscing about his own mother. "A society with a greedy generation, that doesn't want to surround itself with children, that considers them above all worrisome, a weight, a risk, is a depressed society," the pope said. "The choice to not have children is selfish. Life rejuvenates and acquires energy when it multiplies: It is enriched, not impoverished."

Don't breed like rabbits! Surround yourself with children! Norman, coordinate!

SLOVAKIA: Anti-Gay Referendum FAILS Miserably Despite Backing Of Pope Francis

While the official result won't be announced until tomorrow, 100% of the ballots have been tabulated and multiple local media outlets are reporting that Slovakia's anti-gay referendum has failed miserably after only 21.4% of eligible voters turned out. Local activists had urged LGBT rights supporters to stay home today and that result of that tactic can be seen in that all three anti-gay ballot questions (above) were overwhelmingly backed by those who did vote. Per Slovak law, a minimum of 50% of registered voters must cast a ballot for any referendum item to be enacted.

The referendum was forced by a petition campaign by the Catholic Church-affiliated Alliance For Family, which turned in a reported 400,000 signatures. Also backing today's vote were the US-based Alliance Defending Freedom, NOM, C-FAM, and the World Congress of Families. On Wednesday, Pope Francis urged Slovaks to vote, saying that he encourages "everyone to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society."

While Slovakia already bans same-sex marriage, the referendum was meant to stiffen that constitutional ban and make it more difficult to undo the ban legislatively.  Today's result is gigantic middle finger - not only to the Catholic Church - but to American anti-gay groups who are increasingly seeking overseas victories in order to justify their existence to their ever-dwindling number of supporters at home. We look forward to seeing if any of them bother to alert those supporters about today's utter humiliation in Slovakia.

SLOVAKIA: Low Voter Turnout Raises Hope That Anti-Gay Referendum Will Fail

Sources on Twitter are reporting a low voter turnout in some parts of Slovakia today, where a referendum backed by Pope Francis and multiple US-based Christian groups (list here) could affirm the already existing ban on same-sex marriage and forbid same-sex couples from adopting. According to the above Twitter user, some regions are reporting a 10% turnout so far, but at least one is claiming to have already met the 50% threshold. Per Slovak law, at least 50% of the country's 4.4M registered voters must cast a ballot for the bills to become enacted. The polls close at 4PM NYC time and official results are not expected until tomorrow. The referendum is costing Slovakia €6.3M and was forced by a petition campaign by the Catholic Church-affiliated Alliance For Family.

UPDATE: The polls are closing and we may get preliminary forecasts today. Stand by.

UPDATE II: In the comments, JMG reader Dave shares this ad in support of today's vote.

SLOVAKIA: Billboard Touts Pope's Support For Tomorrow's Anti-Gay Rights Vote

Via Yahoo News:

A big billboard of Pope Francis hangs over the center of Slovakia's capital, urging citizens to vote "Yes" in a referendum on restricting gay rights. The vote this weekend in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation — which follows a similar one that succeeded in Croatia in 2013 — points to a cultural divide within the European Union in which more established western members are rapidly granting new rights to gays, while eastern newcomers entrench conservative attitudes toward LGBT people. In Saturday's vote, Slovaks will be asked whether they agree to three points: that marriage can only be called a union between man and woman; that same-sex partners must be barred from adopting children; and that it's up to parents to decide whether their children receive sex education. While the constitution already defines marriage as between man and woman, the campaigners decided it was important to include the question in the referendum to reinforce traditional family values.

As I reported two days ago, local activists are urging Slovaks to stay home tomorrow as at least 50% of registered voters must cast a ballot in order for a bill to become law. Therefore no vote at all is better than merely voting no. (Tipped by JMG reader Tristam)

RELATED: Read my breakdown of the several major US-based anti-gay Christian groups that are supporting tomorrow's vote.

SLOVAKIA: Pope Francis Endorses Public Vote To Ban Gay Marriage & Adoption

Via J. Lester Feder at Buzzfeed:

Pope Francis gave his blessing on Wednesday to a referendum that would ban marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples in Slovakia, which will be voted on this Saturday. “I greet the pilgrims from Slovakia and, through them, I wish to express my appreciation to the entire Slovak church, encouraging everyone to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society,” Francis said during Wednesday’s general audience in Rome. “For first time in Slovak modern history the Catholic Church is heavily involved in political campaign,” said Martin Macko, executive director of the LGBT rights group Inokost. The Slovak referendum follows the success of a similar ballot measure in another Catholic-majority Eastern European country, Croatia, which adopted a ban on recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples in December.

As I reported in October 2014, this weekend's referendum is being pushed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, who filed a local amicus brief even though Slovakia had already approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in June 2014, earning lavish praise from Brian Brown. The coming vote would essentially affirm that ban and widen it to include any recognition of same-sex relationships. Two related bills on the ballot would ban same-sex couples from adopting children and allow parents to withdraw their children from sex education classes.

Last week Right Wing Watch reported that Brown sent out an email blast asking supporters to join an anti-gay petition launched by CitizenGo, the Madrid-based anti-gay group where he serves on the board of directors. The petition urges Slovaks to vote in favor of the bills. Also supporting this weekend's vote is the World Congress of Families, another group Brown works with. In September 2014 Brown and World Congress of Families leaders attended a Kremlin summit which concluded with a formal written call for more nations to impose Russian-style anti-gay legislation.

Yet another organization backing the referendum is C-FAM, the viciously anti-gay Catholic group headed by Breitbart columnist Austin Ruse (above right), who was fired by the American Family Association last year after declaring during an AFA radio guest-hosting gig that liberal college professors should "all be taken out and shot." From C-FAM's website:

As was to be expected, the sodomist pressure group inside the European Parliament is furious. While they had no problem with narrow parliamentary majorities redefining marriage to include same-sex “marriages” in France, Spain, and other countries (usually without the matter having been discussed in the preceding electoral campaigns…), they abhor the idea that ordinary people should have their say on the matter. Sophie Veld, a Dutch MEP and leader of the homosexualist and pro-abortion lobby, described the forthcoming referendum as “distasteful”, thereby betraying her own rather selective adherence to human rights and democratic procedures. We, however, are looking forward to the outcome of this democratic vote.

Buzzfeed notes that the local Catholic Church is being evasive about their role in the referendum:

The leadership body of the Catholic Church in the country, the Conference of Slovak Bishops, has walked an awkward line around the referendum. On the one hand, the bishops have given full-throated support to the proposal, including endorsing the referendum in a televised mass and pastoral letter on Feb. 1. The conference also appears to have solicited funds to support the Alliance for Family through a page on its official website. On the other hand, it has bristled at the suggestion that the referendum is the creation of the church. “The referendum itself is an initiative of civil society; it’s not primarily of the church,” said the conference’s spokesman, Father Martin Kramara, in an interview with BuzzFeed News.

Per Slovakian law, at least 50% of all registered voters must cast a ballot in order for a law to be valid. That rule reportedly gives local LGBT activists some hope and they are urging Slovaks not to vote at all rather than vote against the three proposed bills. But with Pope Francis now aligning himself with some of the most powerful US-based anti-gay hate groups, that tactic may prove futile, particularly because of Slovakia's small population.

Still, the Economist notes that three out of four recent national referendums failed to meet the 50% threshold, with only the 2003 vote to join the European Union succeeding. Should the bills be approved, LGBT activists have vowed to take the issue to EU courts. Whatever the outcome, Slovakia will remain the leading example of US-based religious groups off-shoring their hatred of LGBT people because they increasingly find little traction at home. Our wins are the world's loss.

Red-Caped Catholic Loons Petition Pope Francis Against Same-Sex Marriage

From the Red-Caped Catholic Loons:

Dissident Catholic pressure groups -- aided by the liberal media -- are feverishly working to dismantle vital Church teaching on marriage and family at the next Synod on the Family in Rome. In fact, they are bombarding the Holy Father and the Synod Fathers right now with messages of revolt against traditional moral values as they clamor for "change, change, change" inside the Church. At this critical time, we must defend the truth and ask the Holy Father to protect the future of the family. TFP Student Action is joining forces with over 20 more pro-family groups around the world to collect as many signatures as possible before the next Synod starts. This prayerful petition is a worldwide effort. Everyone is invited to sign. May God reward you.

From the petition:

Holy Father, In view of the Synod on the family to be held in October 2015, we filially address Your Holiness to express our fears and hopes regarding the future of the family. Our fears arise from witnessing a decades-long sexual revolution promoted by an alliance of powerful organizations, political forces and the mass media that consistently work against the very existence of the family as the basic unit of society. Ever since the so-called May 1968 Sorbonne Revolution, a morality opposed to both Divine and natural law has been gradually and systematically imposed on us so implacably as to make it possible, for example, to teach the abhorrent "gender theory" to young children in many countries. Catholic teaching on the Sixth Commandment of the Law of God shines like a beacon in the face of this ominous ideological objective. This beacon attracts many people -- overwhelmed by this hedonistic propaganda -- to the chaste and fecund family model taught by the Gospel and in accordance with natural law.

Tradition! Family! Fecundity!

Frothy Mix Vs Pope Francis

Rick Santorum isn't very happy with Pope Francis saying that Catholics shouldn't breed like rabbits.

It’s sometimes very difficult to listen to the Pope and some of the things he says off the cuff, and this is one of them. And I just, I keep coming back to the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, and when he speaks as the leader of the Catholic Church, I’ll certainly pay attention. But when he speaks in interviews, he’s giving his own opinions, which I certainly will listen to, but from my perspective, that doesn’t reflect the idea that people shouldn’t be fruitful and multiply, and that people should be open to life as something that is a core value of the faith and of the Catholic Church. And I don’t know what the Pope was referring to there. Maybe he’s speaking to people in the third world, but the problem certainly in most of the Catholic world is not procreation. I mean, in Europe in particular, you have birth rates that are only over, just a little over one for every two people. So this isn’t a global problem, and I don’t know what the Pope was referring to.

Pope Francis reacted to the global kerfuffle today by walking back his comments a bit.

Speaking of his recent trip to the Philippines, where he presided over the largest mass in history, he said "it gives consolation and hope to see so many numerous families who receive children as a real gift of God. They know that every child is a benediction." He called "simplistic" the belief that large families were the cause of poverty, blaming it instead on an unjust economic system. "We can all say that the principal cause of poverty is an economic system that has removed the person from the center, and put the god of money there instead." Mons. Anthony Figueiredo, a theologian and Director of the North American Pontifical College in Rome, said the two statements are not contradictory. "When the Pope speaks on the plane, he is speaking as a pastor to ordinary people," said Figueiredo, who is a CBS News consultant. "When he comes back, he wants to speak as Pope."

Pope Francis To Reporters: Catholics Don't Need To Breed Like Rabbits