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News & ArtsTuesday, November 10, 2009
Homo / Religion Catholic Bishop: Gays Are Not Welcome At Vatican City
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 8:18 AM
The presence of gays and lesbians—even as tourists—represents "a provocation and an abuse," and is "offense to our religion." Um... has this guy met the light-in-his-Prada-loafers pope? And good thing there wasn't a ban on gay people hanging out at the Vatican when that cocksucker was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
1
That's really a shame to hear that three-quarters of the priesthood won't be welcome at The Vatican.
2
now Dan, don't take it personally-
the Vatican like crazy uncle Louie-
they just says out loud what everbody is thinking...
the Vatican like crazy uncle Louie-
they just says out loud what everbody is thinking...
4
This guy they quote is the "Apostolic Administrator of Atyrau Kazakhstan" - and only a titular bishop. Who do you send as a Catholic admin Kazakhstan? Someone you want to disappear, I reckon. (Do they even have Catholics in Kazakhstan?)
While his comments are gross and inexcusable, he's on the outside of popular Catholic sentiment about these things. My friends who are RC priests would never back this statement.
While his comments are gross and inexcusable, he's on the outside of popular Catholic sentiment about these things. My friends who are RC priests would never back this statement.
5
SO MANY FRIENDS WHO R PRIESTS N STUFF THEY AGREE AND I AM WEALTHY AND HAPPY WITH THE LORD TO HAVE PLAYTIME ALL DAY. MACHO MAN DAN CAN U DIGG LET'S BAN EM THEY ALREADY BANNED CLRLY U EVR LET UP I GOTS INTERNETS AND TIME AND I NVR LET UP IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE I MISS REAL TIME.
6
@ 1 maybe it's done to remove temptation ? Sort of how we don't bring cake to a dieting friend, candy to an obese child, or booze to a house of an alcoholic.
Considering most of Pope's staff are gay, he wants to make sure they concentrate on business instead of starring on seductive tourists behinds..
.
Considering most of Pope's staff are gay, he wants to make sure they concentrate on business instead of starring on seductive tourists behinds..
.
8
red meat for homophobic african and latino catholics - the only remaining constituency for the church. certainly the declining population of europeans and north american catholics could give a fuck.
10
Surely there's some common ground on which to work. After all, Bishop Kaleta does find the presence of gays provocative. That's positive, isn't it?
11
If gays aren't welcome, then why are the priests stationed at the Vatican are ten times hotter(and younger) than any you see anyplace else on earth? Its like 100s of clones of the male casts of Twilight, Gossip Girls, and High School Musical all in one place.
13
Why does the US maintain diplomatic relations with theocratic nations like the Vatican in the first place? Seems like a bad idea on principle, to me.
14
I think this is good. It's always better when people are open and direct about being bigots and assholes so money--in this case tourist dollars--can be diverted elsewhere.
15
The linked article at Carnal Nation is really misrepresentative of the guy's status; they give the impression he's a legitimate spokesman for Vatican City, voicing an official policy, instead of (as mcFly points out) just some random Catholic official in Kazakhstan saying what he thinks the Vatican should do.
16
The Vatican is a European state (although not a member of the European Union). 67 countries have signed the UN declaration on Sexual orientation and Gender Identity; they should be loudly protesting this announcement, they should be banning state visits from the Pope, and they should be ejecting members of diplomatic missions of the Holy See in their territories.
17
As if I wanted to visit your creepy-ass theocracy anyway. As a general rule, I try to avoid visiting organized crime headquarters and safe-havens for unrepentant child rapists while on my vacation.
Somebody should ask this bishop who he thinks designed the costumes for the Swiss Guard.
Somebody should ask this bishop who he thinks designed the costumes for the Swiss Guard.
21
Of course, anyone who has/has had extramarital affairs, has ever been even slightly hypocritical, ever worked on the Sabbath, stolen anything in recent days, or lied today is also excluded, yes? I mean to ask, they wouldn’t exclude people for one sin and not others, right? That wouldn’t make sense…
22
Just for the record, the Catholic Catechism does not condemn homosexuals and states that "Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." I'm sure this man was reprimanded for his statement, although it's not likely that we will hear about it in the news.
24
Maybe some LGBT rights organization should sue them for the return of all art created by queers the Vatican has....since they don't want any queers on the premises. I bet they'd change their tunes if gays repo'd the Sistine Chapel.
25
Really??? Is that so??? Well...lemme give you my address so that you can refund all those lira I spent while visiting Vatican City last Spring. I wouldn't want to contribute to your "discomfort."
26
This sucks. I'm going to the vatican for the first time ever this spring with my partner. As much as I hate to give these bastards any money, I just can't pass up the opportunity to see all the history and art inside those walls.
I think I'll have to donate an equal amount of money to some anti-vatican organization. Any suggestions?
I think I'll have to donate an equal amount of money to some anti-vatican organization. Any suggestions?
27
The Vatican would be a neat place to visit if it didn't have all those Catholic clergy shitheads squatting in it. As it is, who even wants to go there? Fuck them.
30
Okay I feel like it's a cliche, in this day & age, to be all like "LOL Christians aren't following Christ's example." But, it has to be said: Jesus hung out with whores and publicans. He "provoked" people by making friends with the lowest of the low, then explained that "I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The whole point of his behavior throughout the New Testament is that you don't have to prove yourself through virtuous behavior to be worthy of forgiveness & love.
I'm not religious & certainly not Catholic, but this seems relevant considering Christ's teachings are *the very thing upon which Christianity is based*. If this bishop wants to say that being gay is a sin, okay fine, but Xtianity doesn't teach that sinners are worthless and should be shunned -- they almost matter MORE than righteous people, because it makes God so happy when they repent.
Granted, it would by kind of creepy if the Catholic Church went around being like, "Gay people, please come to Vatican City so we can expose you to Christ's healing love." But it would be consistent!
I'm not religious & certainly not Catholic, but this seems relevant considering Christ's teachings are *the very thing upon which Christianity is based*. If this bishop wants to say that being gay is a sin, okay fine, but Xtianity doesn't teach that sinners are worthless and should be shunned -- they almost matter MORE than righteous people, because it makes God so happy when they repent.
Granted, it would by kind of creepy if the Catholic Church went around being like, "Gay people, please come to Vatican City so we can expose you to Christ's healing love." But it would be consistent!
31
@30 Not "consistent" with the church's behavior over the two thousand years. Just the opposite. But I know what you mean.
32
No one with some damn sense in their minds would reproach the Vatican from not wanting withing their borders people who come just to cause trouble, set themselves on fire, or any other stupid act that could harm the clergy or the Pope himself. Why would they want people in coming to protest them and to disturb the sanctity of the place and those who come to seek communion with their God? No one can blame them, I'm not a catholic but in all truth i can see their reasons for this.
33
"And good thing there wasn't a ban on gay people hanging out at the Vatican when that cocksucker was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel."
BWAHAHAHAHA! I love a good historical joke.
I was going to call out Loveschild for being bigoted and unkind to her fellow man (that whole "love thy neighbor as thyself" chestnut), but I have a feeling some of you veteran SLOGers will do a much better job of that than I will.
BWAHAHAHAHA! I love a good historical joke.
I was going to call out Loveschild for being bigoted and unkind to her fellow man (that whole "love thy neighbor as thyself" chestnut), but I have a feeling some of you veteran SLOGers will do a much better job of that than I will.
35
What, you been living under a rock? That happens at least once a week :) Gotta keep up with the times, man!
36
@32 you are soooo stupid....consider the ultimate leader of the Catholic church is not the pope but Jesus and he hung out with all kind of outcasts in his day. The retarded Kazakhstan bishop is now acting like the Jewish priests and we all know what happened to their descendants.
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