Third Eagle Of Apocalypse: Vatican Logo Secretly Promotes Gay Marriage

Cardinal Raymond Burke: Marriage Vote Means Ireland Is Worse Than The Pagans

"I mean, this is a defiance of God. It’s just incredible. Pagans may have tolerated homosexual behaviours, they never dared to say this was marriage." - Cardinal Raymond Burke, speaking Wednesday at Oxford University's Newman Society. More from The Tablet:

Though the talk consisted primarily in an overview of Pope Benedict XVI's chiefest intellectual contributions, Cardinal Burke adopted a more personal note in his answers to questions at the end. Responding to a question about the marginalisation of faith in the public sphere, he stressed the primary importance of fortifying the family in its understanding of how faith “illumines daily living”. ‘The culture is thoroughly corrupted, if I may say so, and the children are being exposed to this, especially through the internet.’ He told the audience that he was “constantly” telling his nieces and nephews to keep their family computers in public areas of the house so that their children would not “imbibe this poison that’s out there.”

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Burke says he would deny communion to pro-gay legislators. Burke gets booted from Vatican post after clashing with Pope Francis. Burke says families should not expose their children to their evil gay relatives.

The Vatican Has The Ireland Sadz

Via Ireland's RTE News:

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano has said that Ireland’s passing of the same-sex marriage referendum constitutes as a "defeat" that highlights a gap between the church and modern society. While neither the Pope nor the Vatican have reacted officially to the referendum result, the newspaper reported of "a challenge for the whole Church," and of "the distance, in some areas, between society and the Church." It said: "The margin between the 'yes' and the 'no' votes was too large not to be accepted as a defeat. It was the result of high voter turnout, notably among young people,". On Saturday the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said the marriage referendum results show that the church has a huge task in front of it to get its message to young people. He said the Catholic Church "needs to have a reality check across the board."

(Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

Vatican Recognizes "State Of Palestine"

Via the Associated Press:

The Vatican has officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty. The treaty, which was finalized Wednesday but still has to be signed, makes clear that the Holy See has switched its diplomatic relations from the Palestinian Liberation Organization to the state of Palestine. The Vatican had welcomed the decision by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012 to recognize a Palestinian state. But the treaty is the first legal document negotiated between the Holy See and the Palestinian state and constitutes an official recognition. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is due to see Pope Francis on Saturday before the canonization of two new saints from the Holy Land a day later.

Teabagistan will go nuts.

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.

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.

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!

REPORT: Pope Francis To Address Joint Session Of Congress In First-Ever Event

Via the Hill:

Pope Francis is planning to address a joint session of Congress and visit the White House during a trip to Washington, D.C., in September, one of the archbishops organizing the pontiff’s trip said. Archbishop Bernardito Auza told the Catholic News Agency (CNA) on Sunday that the pope is projected to arrive in Washington on Sept. 22 as part of a three-city U.S. tour that includes New York and Philadelphia. Francis will visit the White House on Sept. 23 and celebrate Mass at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception later that same day, Auza added. “And we might say really the highlight of the Washington visit might be his speech to the joint-meeting of Congress, so the Senate and the House of Representatives,” Auza told CNA. “But these are just proposals. At the end of February there will be the first organizational visit (from a Vatican delegation), and then we will see what we could really fill in,” the archbishop added, according to CNA.

The Pope's invitation to speak came from House Speaker John Boehner.  His address will come after the Supreme Court has ruled on same-sex marriage.

Pope Francis On France Attack: There Must Be Limits On Freedom Of Expression

Via Yahoo News:

Pope Francis said Thursday there are limits to freedom of expression, especially when it insults or ridicules someone's faith. Francis spoke about the Paris terror attacks while en route to the Philippines, defending free speech as not only a fundamental human right but a duty to speak one's mind for the sake of the common good. But he said there were limits.

By way of example, he referred to Alberto Gasparri, who organizes papal trips and was standing by his side aboard the papal plane. "If my good friend Dr. Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," Francis said, throwing a pretend punch his way. "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."

Francis insisted that it was an "aberration" to kill in the name of God and said religion can never be used to justify violence. But he said there was a limit to free speech when it concerned offending someone's religious beliefs. "There are so many people who speak badly about religions or other religions, who make fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others," he said. "They are provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr. Gasparri if he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit."

Bill Donohue is doing cartwheels.

I am obviously delighted that the pope has taken the same position I have on this issue. Radio chatterbox Hugh Hewitt doubted last week whether a single bishop would side with me. What does he have to say now? Regarding the pope’s quip about punching those who offend us, here is what I said to Megyn Kelly last week: “If a woman has been beaten by her husband for 20 years and one day she goes out and she blows his brains out, I think we’re going to say she’s a murderer and we ought to try her. On the other hand any sensible person would say why don’t we look at the whole issue here.”

Tony Perkins On Marriage: We're Several Touchdowns Behind, But We'll Win

Hate group leader Tony Perkins says that the opponents of same-sex marriage have been reinvigorated by last month's Vatican meeting, where the Pope's message was "like getting a halftime pep talk in the locker room." Go for the Hail Mary!

Tony Perkins Has The Vatican Gladz

VATICAN: Mark Regernus Revealed As Maker Of Pope Francis' Anti-Gay Films

Remember the "ex-gay" clip that I posted yesterday from the series of short films currently being shown at the Vatican's marriage symposium? Today we learn that film series was created by debunked and discredited anti-gay researcher Mark Regnerus, who was so thoroughly gelded by a Michigan court. Via Jeremy Hooper at Good As You:

A few months back, I played a clip where Mark Regnerus of the infamously shoddy study that hoped to discredit gay parents mentioned he was filming videos around the world. Today, Baptist writer and activist Denny Burk answers the question of what videos he was filming. Yes, that's right: He was filming those anti-gay videos that I have been showing you all week. You know, the ones from the pointedly discriminatory Vatican conference that has been going on for the past three days? Those anti-gay, propagandistic clips come courtesy of the very same man who tried to sway the public with an anti-gay, propagandistic study. What a truly bizarre choice. Like almost too bizarre to be believed, frankly. It seems that the Vatican isn't only courting "culture war"—it's begging for one.

(Tipped by JMG reader Str8 Grandmother)

Tony Perkins: The Vatican's Colloqium Is A "Clarion Call" Against Same-Sex Marriage

"Today, the Vatican’s colloquium on the complementarity of man and woman in marriage moved from laying a theoretical groundwork to take on the tone of a half-time locker room pep talk for those advancing the cause of natural marriage. In message after message today, from Sikh, Muslim, Mormon, and others (including American evangelicals Rick Warren and Russell Moore), there was a clarion call to renew the effort to uphold marriage as God intended it to be. Rick Warren gave an outstanding message that brought everyone to their feet as he gave clear instructions of what we must do. He warned that the opposition would be present as we lifted up marriage, but he said don’t mind the temporal voices, 'The only way to be relevant is to be eternal.' And answering those who love to say those who see marriage for how it was created are on the wrong side of history, Rick said, 'It’s not important to be on the right side of culture or the right side of history, it is just important to be on the right side!'" - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via email.

Day Three Of Vatican Marriage Meeting

D: Don't Be A Douchebag

An "Ex-Gay" At Vatican Marriage Meeting

Jeremy Hooper writes at Good As You:

Here's the scene at Day Two, where participants (including Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, Tony Perkins, Ryan T. Anderson and a whole host of anti-gay political activists) were greeted with a video that claims sexual orientation is nothing more than a political construct, followed by a lengthy clip of a gay man insisting that celibacy is the only option.

Start at 8:45. Click the gear symbol for subtitles.

Day Two Of Vatican's Marriage Meeting

Pope Francis Confirms 2015 US Visit

Via NBC Philadelphia:

The pontiff confirmed Monday he plans to attend the highly-anticipated World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next year. "I wish to confirm according to the wishes of the Lord, that in September of 2015, I will go to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families," he told a gathering of religious leaders in Rome. The three-day visit will include a public Sunday mass on the Ben Franklin Parkway on Sept. 27, 2015. Officials estimate up to 2 million people could come to see the pope. "This will be the largest event in the city's modern history," Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said. The mayor called the visit a "massive undertaking" that will require a "tremendous amount of coordination."

According to the Catholic News Agency, Pope Francis will also visit New York City and Washington DC, but the Vatican has not yet confirmed that. 

NOTE: The Philadelphia event has no relation to the NOM-backed and viciously anti-gay World Congress Of Families, which recently called for more nations to criminalize homosexuality.

Quote Of The Day: Pope Francis

"As you embark on a reflection on the beauty of complementarity between man and woman in marriage, I urge you to lift up yet another truth about marriage: that permanent commitment to solidarity, fidelity, and fruitful love responds to the deepest longings of the human heart. Let us bear in mind especially the young people, who represent our future. It is important that they do not give themselves over to the poisonous mentality of the temporary, but rather be revolutionaries with the courage to seek true and lasting love, going against the common pattern: this must be done. With regard to this I want to say one thing: Let us not fall into the trap of being qualified by ideological concepts.

"Family is an anthropological fact - a socially and culturally related fact. We cannot qualify it with concepts of an ideological nature, that are relevant only in a single moment of history, and then pass by. We can't speak today of a conservative notion of family or a progressive notion of family: Family is family! It can't be qualified by ideological notions. Family has a strength of its own. May this colloquium be an inspiration to all who seek to support and strengthen the union of man and woman in marriage as a unique, natural, fundamental and beautiful good for persons, families, communities, and whole societies." - Pope Francis, in his opening message to this week's marriage symposium at the Vatican, which is being attended by numerous American anti-gay activists.

Follow along at the Twitter hashtag #Humanum.