Hypocrisy on Display: Richmond Bishop Francis DiLorenzo

On issues of human sexuality the Roman Catholic Church continues to ignore modern knowledge and science, especially on issues of sexual orientation.  Rather than accept the fact that homosexuality is (i) a normal, naturally occurring condition for a portion of the world's population, and (ii) no more sinful than breathing, the Church continues to embrace 13th century batshitery first launched by individuals who modern experts would likely label as mentally disturbed.  Locally, one of the worse proponents of such backwardness is the Bishop of the Diocese of Richmond, Bishop Francis DiLorenzo, who is virulently anti-gay.  Similarly, he believes in the subjugation of women to men and bars divorced and remarried Catholics from positions  in the diocese's schools.  Yet this Neanderthal knuckle dragger is now exhorting local Catholics to accept the science of climate change.  As regular readers know, I am all for accepting and acting on scientific knowledge of climate change and regularly , but for DiLorenzo to suddenly embrace knowledge and science on every other issue, is the height of hypocrisy.  The Virginian Pilot looks at this hypocrisy on display:

Responding to Pope Francis' call this summer for prompt action to address climate change, Catholic Bishop Francis DiLorenzo told an audience of about 200 Tuesday night that people must learn about the science of what is happening to the world.

DiLorenzo's remarks came at the start of a symposium of theologians and climate experts, including retired naval officers, that was sparked by the lengthy papal encyclical in June that called for a worldwide effort to confront climate change.

The pontiff condemned the destruction of the environment for personal profit and short-term gain. Such a pronouncement from the pope in a formal letter to Catholics is considered an authoritative teaching.

The bishop said he believes the region's Catholics should begin with stronger education about environmental problems and issues in the church's elementary and high schools, as well as colleges and adult education.

Tackling environmental problems is in keeping with the Catholic beliefs that "every human being has the right to life, food, clothing, shelter, health care," he said.

The last part of the quoted language is perhaps the most hypocritical since DiLorenzo consistently opposes any and every gay friendly proposal in Virginia as well as women's rights.   He epitomizes the bitter old men in dresses that are steadily killing Catholicism in America.  Oh, and before he condemns gays, perhaps he should focus on his own sin of gluttony - the man obviously hasn't missed any meals given his large girth.

Diocese of Richmond Seeks to Kill Joint Episcopal-Catholic Parish

The Vatican and the Catholic bishops give a great deal of lip service about wanting to increase ecumenism and building improved relations with other Christian denominations.  Like so much that comes out of the mouths of these people, it's a lie.   The Nazi Pope, Benedict XVI, and his Schutz-Staffel like bishops and cardinals increasingly want a form of Catholic purity dictated by they themselves and truly care nothing about the wedge they are driving between the Catholic Church and other denominations, not to mention between the Church hierarchy and much of the laity.  A local example of this effort to burn all bridges and erase all real efforts at ecumenism can be found in Virginia Beach where The Church of the Holy Apostles, the nation's only joint Episcopal-Catholic parish has received orders from SS Sturmbannführer - I mean bishop -  Francis X. DiLorenzo of the Diocese of Richmond that the parish must segregate portions of their service into separate facilities.  Having attended The Church of the Holy Apostles myself in the past with friends who were members, given the layout of the church facility (pictured above), this dictate may well kill the joint parish - which I suspect is Bishop DiLorenzo's real goal.   Here are excerpts from a Virginian Pilot story:

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond has told the nation's only blended Catholic and Episcopal parish it must change its worship services so Catholics and non-Catholics meet in separate rooms for Holy Communion.

The parish, Church of the Holy Apostles, is led by Catholic and Episcopal co-pastors and has worshipped together for more than 30 years.  It's an arrangement, parishioners say, that over the years has allowed families in mixed marriages to worship side by side and has helped build bonds that transcend denominational boundaries.

[Diocese] officials made it clear the current worship practice – using a combined liturgy in which the priests move to separate altars in the same room to say the Eucharistic prayers – was unacceptable, Ferguson said.  They instructed the parish to come up with a plan that provides for separate liturgies in separate rooms, Ferguson said.

[P]arishioners at the church on Lynnhaven Parkway are still upset by DiLorenzo’s removal of the parish’s Catholic co-pastor, the Rev. James E. Parke, earlier this month.  DiLorenzo gave no reason for Parke’s dismissal, which was communicated in a letter to the parish on Nov. 2 – one day after the parish celebrated its 35th anniversary.

In the same letter, DiLorenzo said he was sending in a team to determine whether the way the parish worships is consistent with Catholic doctrine.

Catholics in the parish, in my view, need to tell SS Sturmbannführer DiLorenzo that he can put his orders where the sun doesn't shine and simply walk away from the Roman Catholic Church.  The more one knows of the Church's real history including its collaboration with the Nazi regime and now the global conspiracy in today' sex abuse scandal, the more obvious it is that the moral thing is to leave the Catholic Church.