Wow.
The Pope needs to do something about this guy, pronto.
Rorate Caeli has a translation of an interview with Portuguese Bishop Januário Torgal Ferreira.
He makes many outrageous statements in this interview, but none more so than his endorsement of gay sex referring to it as the “psychic-affective fusion of mysterious unity.”
The Church welcomes homosexuals, in fact. As long as they do not practice their homosexuality…
It is certain that a homosexual couple is not theoretical, isn’t it? And affections are translated through this practice, through this psychic-affective fusion of mysterious unity that is the human being.
The Church must understand this?
Understand it must. But not sanctify it – because love is, for the Church, a sacrament, matrimony. This is a very complex matter, which must be very well understood. And no institution may say that it accepts it or does not accept it. Each case is a [particular] case.
He then goes on to defend contraception.
And from within the Church?
I have been warned once or twice.
Regarding what?
Family planning, for instance. But I still keep thinking what I thought before, and to say what I said before. Which proves that, from my part, that is not any hostility at all. There is a great communion, and love for the Church, and I am convinced, by my pastoral experience, that that which I defend will soon be a reality. I do not accept the dogmatism of natural methods. People often do not wish to be realistic. But what matters most is that there continues to be a great dialogue, because truth is never possessed in full.
Calling the CDF, Calling the CDF…. Come in CDF….
June 27, 2010 at 6:24 pm
I could have remained a protestant and listened to this kind of drivel. He seems to know too much about this, "psychic-affective fusion of mysterious unity." Someone needs to start looking into his closet before there is yet another scandal for the media to sink their teeth into.
June 27, 2010 at 6:51 pm
The Church is to teach and lead men out of sin… not adapt to the sin and accept it and tolerate it… I am calling for Catholics to be Catholics fully and to not pick and choose. If they wish to pick and choose, there are over 40,000 protestant sects that will greet them and except their error and call it right… If a priest of God makes excuses for homosexuality or men and women living in sin or having sex outside the marriage bond and celebrates such things, then this Priest or Bishop has much to answer for when he sits in front of the Throne of Almighty God Where the Great Judge, the Lamb, who sits on the Throne of David in Glory This Day will Judge… They are charged with the care of men and women’s souls and if they lead them into heresy and sin, then I pray for God’s Mercy on them on that terrible and great day…
June 27, 2010 at 6:54 pm
As a baby-boomer I don't like saying this, but,yeah, this Bishop is surely time-locked in a never-neverland Where It Is Forever 1968.
— Mack
June 27, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Thankfully, most thankfully, his ilk is dying out as we speak.
June 27, 2010 at 7:52 pm
"But what matters most is that there continues to be a great dialogue, because truth is never possessed in full." -Bishop Januário Torgal Ferreira
Dialogue within the church is great until a council or Pope (ex cathedra) pronounces something infallibly (like circumcision, transubstantiation, abortion, or woman "ordination"). After that, if dialogue about an infallible pronouncement happens within the Church, it's just schismatic candy.
(Just listen to "Aquinasblog Author" in this series.)
June 28, 2010 at 12:28 am
By golly, Portugal's very own Bishop Gumbleton. That His Excellency Ferreira is 72 years old is no small mercy for the Church.
June 28, 2010 at 1:08 am
Um, to be fair to this heretical bishop, what he called a "psychic-affective fusion of mysterious unity" was not gay sex, but human beings. He said that "affections are translated through" the practice of homosexuality to human beings. And then he goes on to say that same-sex couples should not be sanctified, that is, he doesn't believe in gay "marriage". At least.
Wasn't the dogma of the faith supposed to be preserved in Portugal according to the visions in Fatima?
I don't think that waiting for their retirement/death is the right strategy to deal with bishops who actively preach dissent/heresy. They do immeasurable damage.
June 28, 2010 at 2:49 am
I too am starting to wonder why I became Catholic…but like Peter, I say to my Lord, "where else will I go, you have the Truth" and the food of Life. I hate that we are saddled with these "priests" who have apostolic succession. I swear it must be the end times for us sheep to be led by these so-called shephards.
June 28, 2010 at 4:11 am
"With bishops like this… ."
Bishops should be required to attend bishop school on a regular basis, like every two years. Call it a retreat, an extended professional development seminar, or a pre ad limina inspection. Call it what you will, and don't leave it up to individual bishops to schedule it. Better yet, perhaps it's time for another Inquisition. We'd have to get clever with the name. "Inquisition" has way too much baggage. How about – "Quality Control Commission"?
June 28, 2010 at 5:01 am
"I too am starting to wonder why I became Catholic…but like Peter, I say to my Lord, "where else will I go, you have the Truth" and the food of Life. I hate that we are saddled with these "priests" who have apostolic succession. I swear it must be the end times for us sheep to be led by these so-called shephards."
This priests are over in Portugal. You all act as if heresy is being preached from your pulpits every Sunday. Stomp playing heretic hunter already. It's a lose-lose game.
June 28, 2010 at 5:40 am
Who's hunting who? This isn't heresy, it is evil that seeks to normalize that which is fundamentally disordered. While we must care and seek for the conversion of all those who are affected by the sin of homosexuality, to bring such dignity to their behavior only serves to immasculate the message of the transformational nature of the gospel. This isn't heresy hunting, it is recognizing sin as sin, and refusing to allow it to define our message.
June 28, 2010 at 8:12 am
I never liked this bishop. As we can see, he's a silly man.
June 28, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Power goes to the head. It must be very difficult to live as Jesus when everyone is trying to please you. To deny oneself and carry the cross clothed in beautiful surroundings takes effort. This bishop and others should put on the mind of Christ and stop living in the perverted world.
June 28, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Man, when you're saying stuff like, "psychic-affective fusion of mysterious unity" you know you have a convincing argument.
I totally agree that the Church isn't practical, though. Demanding people live to a higher standard than ignoring their neighbor, sit around and watch TV, and pray they have to spend their life never making a decision on anything is SO judgementing.
June 28, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Hmmm…
"psychic-affective fusion of mysterious unity"? Didn't I see them open for Foghat in 1979?
June 28, 2010 at 10:03 pm
«This priests are over in Portugal.»
Huh. So now the only Catholics that matter are the ones over in the USA?
And mind, this priest is also a bishop. That a bishop dares to contradict Church teaching publicly is outrageous and damaging, no matter where he comes from.
June 29, 2010 at 5:42 pm
This priests are over in Portugal.
Think globally, act locally.
Seriously, with the advent of internet and instant global communication, the days of "Well, that problem is over there so we don't have to worry about it" are over. And the fact remains that there are plenty of Catholics over here engaging in counter-witness to the Church's teachings on sexuality–it IS a global problem and we are all in it together. One might as well say, "Don't pray for the Pope's intentions because he's over there in Italy."
June 29, 2010 at 5:44 pm
P.S. Oh yeah, we don't actually have to hunt for the onslaught to normalize homosexual depravity–it stalks the earth like Godzilla.
June 29, 2010 at 8:08 pm
He used vague enough terminology to probably be at the edge, but he does state clearly it should not be sanctified. I thought perhaps he was trying to sympathize with those who have SSA and believes it generates genuine feelings. But then he says no institution may say it accepts or does not accept it ("it" being homosexuality, I presume? Accept what: its existence, its genuiness, or its legitimacy?). That is the part that needs to be in red. I wonder if something may be lost in translation.
The contraception part seems pretty clearly heretical.
June 30, 2010 at 5:38 am
Bishops like this one, are doing a lot of harm. Causing confusion and causing Catholics to question their faith. The weaker ones who hear him talk like this, probably feel it is ok now to live in sin, because a BISHOP said it is ok. God help him. If he doesn't want to be conformed to Catholic teaching, then he should leave, rather than create so much danger to souls. I'd rather have fewer bishops that are good, than dangerous ones in big numbers.