VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Friday denounced the “powerful political and cultural currents” seeking to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States, and urged U.S. bishops to strengthen their teaching of the evils of premarital sex and cohabitation.
Pope Benedict XVI
The pope’s latest comments opposing marriage equality for same-sex couples came in an address to bishops from several Midwestern states on a routine visit to the Vatican, reported the Associated Press.
Benedict has long championed traditional marriage between man and woman, as well as opposition to premarital sex and fidelity within marriage. But his strong comments to visiting U.S. bishops took on particular significance given the culture wars that have erupted in the U.S. this campaign season.
[...]
In addition, bishops have been at the forefront of the campaign against same-sex marriage, with at least five U.S. states scheduling ballot measures on the issue in coming months. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the head of the U.S. conference of bishops and archbishop of New York, unsuccessfully lobbied against the legalization of gay marriage in his state.
Benedict said a weakened appreciation for “traditional marriage” has led to “grave social problems bearing an immense human and economic cost.”
In his “State of the World” address in January, Benedict called same-sex marriage a threat to “human dignity and the future of humanity itself.”
The Roman Catholic Church, which has approximately 1.3 billion members worldwide, teaches that homosexual acts are sinful, and that children should grow up in a “traditional” family with a mother and a father.
Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in six states — Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont — and the District of Columbia.
This year, Washington state and Maryland became the seventh and eighth states, respectively, to legalize same-sex marriage through their state legislatures, but opponents are in both states are gathering petition signatures to put a referendum on their November ballots in hopes of repealing the laws before they take effect.
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I think Ezio should pay Pope Benedict a visit :]
Yeah, well his car’s ugly and his wardrobe doesn’t fit properly so ;-p
How is this newsworthy?
so paedophilia is okay, but being gay isn’t? fuck the pope and fuck the vatican
Fuck this old puece of shit. Who the fuck is he? Hes as importan as my pet bird. Infact, my bird is more important than him. FUCK HIM.
this is a special message for pope shithead. fuck you and your mother too. SS Child!
Pope Benedict needs to move into the 21st century and needs to start following the practices of his own religion…LOVE thy neighbor!! The pope is a hypocrite. He has been responsible for hiding parts of the sex abuse scandal and made countless of innocent victims suffer. He encourages his bishops and priests to spread the word of hate NOT God.
well, its pope benedict, who didnt expect this really?
I have a thought for Pope Benedict: Rather than denouncing gay marriage where two people take vows and commit to one another, try denouncing your perverted priests who ignore THEIR vows and molest children and have sexual encounters with women?
Amen to that. He can bite my shiny metal ass
This makes me :(
Get over it Popey Dopey.
@Tanya Deslauries, yeah, wtf is up with that? Is he that stupid or something? Being gay isn’t wrong but that pedo stuff is wrong. >_<
as a roman catholic who loves her faith, truly, i’m sorry that some of us act this way. we’re all not like that, i promise.
Maybe focusing on creepy pervie priests should be a priority! The church is not government anymore!
You don’t scare us.
Funny how he doesn’t say anything about the numerous countries that have legalized gay marriage already.
Awww, does the Pope still think his “authority” is relevant?
Well, good for him — he should have no say here, anyway. Stay in your little Vatican City, Pope Nazi, and stop trying to tell everyone how to live their lives.
Ungh… Again… This from the man in the dress…
He and his paedophile buddies are probably laughing at us all, trying to take away our rights.
He’s so gonna fail miserably
He needs to be banned from speaking
Yes it really sucks when people fight for their equal rights!
The catholic nazi needs to mind his own people…the ones molesting little boys?
That old queen needs to stop talking
NAZI
Who asked him any way……he needs to SHUT THE FUCK UP !!!!
What’s the period in history called when political and social life was dominated by the Catholic Church? Oh yeah, the Dark Ages.
Marianna, we know ;) It would be just as narrow of us to make asinine stereotypes as it is for ” ‘the’ church” to do so. It’s just unfortunate that so many think (rather, don’t bother to think other than) that theocracy is realistic or viable.
My heart breaks for people who are broken, misguided, and just full of sin.. That being people who think they are better than others and feel like they can judge everyone else…Stupid mf…Everyone should have equal rights…If you can find a person man or women different or same sex that loves you and you love them. You grab ahold of that love and never let go…Isnt America suppose to be the Land of Freedom?
I guess this is a place where the church should stay out of politics unless they pay taxes
The Pope needs to go back to churc and figure out what his real agenda is. I think they need to clean thier own house before they at least come a knocken to mine on that issue.
I think the time this pope spent in Hitler’s Youth Camp didnt do him any good.
RIP John Paul II
Remove all tax breaks for the Catholic Church NOW !!!!
The Pope is a bigoted horses arse!! We can’t get married but his damn Priests can sexually abuse children and that is ok??? The Catholic church hides what they don’t want people to know !!! Did you know there are more gospels but only 4 got into bible??? Mary Magdalin was not included!! Amongst others!!! Afraid of the woman Jesus chose to be his mate??? Bigots!!!
Well I guess Priests and Alter Boys can’t tie the knott
I would like to ask him “when did you come put of the closet to tell your parents your straight?” Since they all think we choose to be this way!! I hate it when they think it’s a choice to be gay!!! Fuck, I mean Seriously everyone don’t they have there “own” shit to worry about?!
The bible talks about an anti-pope in revelations.
One appointed MAN trying to dictate to all men.
Pray for his closed mind and cold heart.
Is he tapping his foot under the stall again?!
pervert the unperverted and call them perverted…blame them for your own church perversion…teach your children to be perverted…eh, why do men take on so many idols?
Pope Benedict takes it up the ass. Look at his face in this photo. That dildo must feel good!!!
really?? but that outfit is so FABULOUS – i don’t get it!
If Popedom Nazi wants to enter politics here in America then the Catholic Church needs to start paying taxes.
“Let him without sin cast the first stone”
Maybe it’s time for the church to pay more attention to it’s own teachings.
That pope ought to be defrocked
ask for proof of any of his arguments, and he’ll dodge answering for sure…
You want a voice here? Start by paying taxes.
I hope I live to see the day that we have a gay pope.
He’s just a sick old batard who means nothing.
Thje last time a german, who hated gays, had this much power, the world struck back and World War II began, just saying Pope Benedict, know your history and taper your role!
Well lets see, Jesus said if I be lifted up, not if the Pope be lifted up AND he is not even from this country. Shut up Pope.
Who cares what the POPE thinks?!?… Shut the front door, you’re not the president of the USA…
Don’t worry, the Catholic Church is dying a slow and lingering death. I doubt very seriously that it’ll last half way through this millennium unless they make some drastic changes.
I am a Catholic and I fully and openly support the LGBTQ community.
The Catholic Church is so full of hate and hypocracy, don’t buy it.
Of course he does, he’s a shit.
How many choir boys has this old Nazi buggered and now he presumes to speak to U.S. law? Fuck him!
the man wears a dress and think it is ok to denounce legalized marraige? hmm
One would think with the hooplah they sing about the seperation of church and state that they would have no strings to pull anyway. Churches teach their fear tactics and keep the little lemmings in line and pay no taxes. They should have no say so in weather this is legalized or not. This world gets a little more sick everyday. Just say no to organized religion! Religion has killed more people than cigarettes, alcohol, car crashes, airplane crashes, and 100 illnesses COMBINED. When are people going to finally wake up and see this? The only reason these idiots have any kind of power is because we allow it to happen. Come on lemmings! Open that mind. Liberate yourself from idiocracy!
fuck the nazi
another reason I am glad I am not a Catholic. Guess everyone has a right to free speech even when filled with so much hate. Too bad he claims to speak for God!
I don’t condone violence in any way but Pope Benedict deserves a bullet in the head
I now want to get married just to piss him off. how sad that such an old man who should have so much wisdom is such a disappointment!
Well he and everyone in a religious job title tends to forget”We are human,we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.”He quotes religious bs,but if God isn’t a judgmental God,why are people trying to play God?Religion doesn’t protect anyone from sin.Everyone is a sinner,for we are all human.And what about all the priests that have molested and raped children for centuries?oh he won’t address that now will he?pathetic
The Vatican needs to mind it’s own damn business and stay out of American politics and social life!!!!!!
Yeah, because they are afraid the alter boys will want a ring before being sodomized.
Judgment is by God.
Not by God wanna be’s!
Ha. Have up catholicism and men, became a wiccan priestess, and married a woman. You can see how well I took too church doctrine, lol.
Thanks but no thanks pope im pretty sure you arent a US citizen also you dont have a hold over anybody here especially from the so called holy vatican and how come Ive never heard a pope address the problem of pedophilia for little boys with their priest Im pretty sure thats detrimental to society, the catholic church is the biggest bigot of them all and will be dealt with when the lord decides that its time to end this shit.
put the nazi in an oven for 20 hours.. that will improve the world
As a former Catholic I can say…what a farce.
Dear Holy Father….SHUT UP!