UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
Pope Francis seems to prefer discussing sexual morality secretively with 200 subservient celibate male bishops at “Family Synods” than to discussing this hot topic with a grandmother Lutheran archbishop. This seems to be especially the case when the woman appears to have better theological training and relevant personal experience than the pope and many of his celibate bishops have, especially on matters like sexual morality and the related climate change implications of uncontrolled population growth. The pope recently met (with no pictures or English translation available apparently – why?) with Lady Antje Jackelen, a German by birth who is Archbishop and Primate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden. The related Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany is the Catholic Church’s main religious and financial competitor in that lucrative religious market.
The pope noted in their meeting the upcoming 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s revolt. In Italian, the direct pope then, in effect, admonished the woman archbishop that it would be a sin ( “un peccato”) if improving Catholic-Lutheran relations had to be set back by topics like “… the question of the dignity of human life, always to be respected, as well as the issues that are related to the family, marriage and sexuality … ” The pope ominously and almost rudely added then, “It would be a sin (un pecatto”) if these important matters were consolidated into new confessional differences”. Pretty heavy handed, even for an ex-bouncer, no? Does an archbishop really need a pope to tell her what is a sin?
Please see the bishop’s picture here,
and the pope’s remarks to the woman bishop whom he addressed as “dear sister” (“cara sorella”), here,
Almost 500 years after Luther, the Vatican still seems intent on dictating to Protestants. The woman archbishop will also be meeting with the head of the Anglican church, a married father who sees more matters her way, e.g., on papal authority, sexual morality, women’s equality, et al., than the pope does from most indications.
It appears the pope, who seemingly spends more time meeting with US right wing fundamentalist leaders and international soccer stars than he spent with this informed archbishop and her group, was not in the mood to listen to a woman bishop or be photographed with her. I wonder why? Of course, she must know the pope is in “a box”. He cannot rationally advocate seriously for reducing greenhouse gases at the same time he pushes for more population growth with his irrational ban on contraception.
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