The theological schisms that had a dramatic impact on church history are, unfortunately, not a thing of the past. At a time when various Christian bodies have been trying to reconcile and heal centuries-old rifts and misunderstandings, a new break is currently taking place — this time concerning “a landmark ruling approved last December by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples.”
Unsurprisingly, many Christians have expressed shock and disappointment over this declaration. According to a March 9 report:
The document has encountered an unprecedented level of opposition within the Catholic Church, with bishops’ conferences in Africa, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary and individual dioceses, including nine in France and many more across the United States and the rest of the world, saying they would refuse anything that appears to be a blessing of a homosexual couple.
The Russian Orthodox Church said this innovation reflects “a sharp departure from Christian moral teaching.” Hilarion Alfeyev, the current metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary, who closely examined the Vatican’s declaration, described it as “a kind of shock,” adding:
We always cite the Catholic Church as a beacon of traditional Christianity … the Church which always supports the traditional Christian values and moral teaching in spite of the fact that from many different angles it is attacked for this traditionalism and stubbornness … . Everyone now will believe that the Church blesses homosexual couples … [The declaration] deceives those who receive such a blessing and those who witness it.
Quite so.
Now the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt is the latest to object — to the point of suspending the amicable dialogue it began with the Catholic Church in 1973 (after a hiatus of some fifteen centuries). On March 7, 2024, Coptic Pope Tawadros II led a synod in which the following decree was pronounced:
After consulting with the sister churches of the Eastern Orthodox family, it was decided to suspend the theological dialogue with the Catholic Church, reevaluate the results achieved by the dialogue from its beginning twenty years ago, and establish new standards and mechanisms for the dialogue to proceed in the future … .
The Coptic Orthodox Church affirms its firm position of rejecting all forms of homosexual relationships, because they violate the Holy Bible and the law by which God created man as male and female, and the Church considers any blessing of such relations, whatever its type, to be a blessing for sin, and this is unacceptable.
The same synod document contains a lengthy section titled “The Belief of the Coptic Orthodox Church on the Issue of Homosexuality,” which explains through numerous biblical verses why homosexuality and other forms of “perversion” must never be normalized, and offers counseling to those who suffer from this malady, before reaffirming:
[T]he Coptic Orthodox Church rejects what is called sexual perversion in its general and comprehensive understanding, and all types of sexual practices outside the sacred framework of marriage. It categorically rejects invoking the idea of different cultures to justify same-sex relations within what is called “absolute human freedom,” which causes the destruction of humanity. The Church, while affirming its complete belief in [personal] human rights and freedom, also affirms that the freedom of the created is not absolute to the point of transgressing and breaking the laws of the Creator.
The Church also affirms its adherence to its pastoral role in helping its children who suffer from homosexual tendencies, as well as not rejecting them, but to provide support and assistance to them in order to reach psychological and spiritual healing, placing its trust in its Christ, the Holy One, who is able to heal, change, and develop in ways more than what we ask or envision.
To unity-minded Christians around the world, surely this is a great shame: a schism between the Coptic and Catholic churches occurred in 451, and it took more than 15 centuries before the two reopened communications in the late twentieth century on the understanding that the original schism — how best to articulate the nature of Christ — was more of a semantic than substantive nature. As Agence I.Media reports,
This announcement comes shortly after the 20th anniversary of the founding of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches … .
Just on February 15, the Vatican had sponsored
an ecumenical prayer in St. Peter’s Basilica for the first commemoration of the 21 [Coptic] Christian martyrs from Libya recognized by the Catholic Church on May 11 following a visit by Tawadros II to the Vatican. These were the first saints recognized by the two Churches since their break-up in the 5th century.
But now all progress made toward rapprochement has been sacrificed on Francis’s altar to homosexuality. For all his ecumenical talk, it seems that he is more interested in giving a nod to sexual deviancy rather than uniting around Christ.
As to why the Coptic Church has so unabashedly halted dialogue with the Catholic Church, it should be remembered that the Egyptian church is the quintessential Church of Martyrs, meaning it is not one to compromise. Past and present, the Christians of Egypt have borne the brunt of persecution. Most Christians killed during the worst bout of Roman persecution—the “Great Persecution” (303-313)—were, according to Eusebius’s history, Egyptians (he mentions “dozens” and even “hundreds” slaughtered on any given day during this decade).
Then came Islam in 640. Centuries of persecution, violence, slaughter, enslavement of women and children, and extortion of jizya caused Egypt to go from one of the largest and most important Christian nations to one of the largest and most important Muslim nations, where its most indigenous inhabitants — the Copts — continue to be persecuted in atrocious ways.
The Muslim historian al-Maqrizi indicates how and why Egypt became Islamic. He notes that during one particularly savage bout of persecution in the eleventh century, some 30,000 churches in Egypt and Greater Syria were destroyed or turned into mosques. Thousands of Christians were slaughtered or enslaved. He concludes: “Under these circumstances a great many Christians became Muslims.” (One can almost hear a triumphant “Allahu Akbar!” For more on the systemic persecution of Copts throughout history, see Adel Guindy’s A Sword Over the Nile: A Brief History of Copts Under Islamic Rule.)
Egypt’s Christians continue to be martyred in the modern era, including but not limited to the aforementioned twenty-one who were ritually decapitated on the shores of Sirte, Libya, in 2015, for refusing to recant Christ for Muhammad. (True to their nature, U.S. media covered the killing of a gorilla six times more than the beheading of these Christians.)
In short, the Church of Martyrs is not about to water down its principles to accommodate postmodern tendencies and homosexual sensibilities.
A final observation: Is it because they refuse to embrace worldly teachings that various ancient Christian communities — along with the Copts, the Armenians and Assyrians, who have both experienced genocides, past and present — continue to be persecuted? After all, the New Testament is clear that persecution is in store for Christians, who oppose the lures and demands of the world. On the other hand, those who — knowingly or unknowingly — embrace the world are more than safe from persecution. As Christ succinctly put it,
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also (John 15:19-20).
As for Pope Francis’s normalization of unnatural relations in keeping with the world’s — not God’s — standards, perhaps Saint Paul says it best:
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:12-13).
Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun, as history has shown us. In many places Scripture warns us about the Great Apostasy that we are witnessing in our present time, when many churches will fall away from their faith in Christ and His teaching.
The Catholic Church under pope Francis is a perfect example, as is the church of England under Justin Welby, and their acceptance of homosexual unions and ordination of women, which has also caused a split. But they are of course not alone. Too many protestant churches have chosen to follow the culture instead of following the Word of God. I suppose one can call them Woke Churches, as that is essentially what they have become.
It behoves us to know scripture so that we are able to recognise this false teaching.
It is very encouraging to read about leaders like Tawadros ll who stand firm in the faith, because persecution is already at some of our doorsteps.
Well said Tershia. Stay well in the totalitarian state of Monsieur Trudeau.
I’m in regular contact with Mary. She mentions you often and asks me to greet you.
She has read Leo Hohmann’s book:
Stealth Invasion (Muslim Conquest Through Immigration and Resettlement Jihad)
Barnes and Noble in paperback $19.
I’m reading it now and find even the preface to be alarming. I’m in the 1st chapter and it is well wriitten and sourced.
I reccommend it highly to all.
Hi Don, good to hear from you. Thanks for the book info.
Yes, persecution has already been felt here, especially during the plandemic mandates when pastors were jailed and their churches locked up by the Grand PooBa’s stormtroopers. He hates Xtians and loves Muslims, and there is more to come!
Please give Mary my best, and to you too 😇
Thx Raymond, a tragic decision. Not about hatred of gays but simply, adhering to biblical pinciples.
Egyptian Copts were Catholics from the time of the first apostles.
In the 4th century, St. Cyril of Alexandria defended the divinity of Jesus Christ against the Arian heresy. But later, in the 5th century, they deviated in their explanation of the natures of Jesus Christ, which are really two, the divine and the human. Hence the conflict with Rome, which then defended the apostolic faith.
But even though they were considered heretics, the popes supported the Copts during the Crusades and the Muslim invasion.
Having said all this, I agree that Jorge Mario Bergoglio teaches doctrines contrary to what has always been taught by the Catholic Church. So I as a Catholic cannot believe that he is really the pope.
I agree that he is bowing to the globalist doctrine, and in the matter of these latest blessings a major scandal has been reached.
Although you give the ‘usually’ accepted account about the Copts and
other ‘Oriental’ Orthodox being ‘heretics,’ it is quite wrong and
outdated. The Copts, Armenians, Syriacs, Ethiopians, etc., are not and
never have been monophysites who believe that Christ was of one divine
nature. They are miaphysites who, while believing that Christ is of one
nature, maintainthat nature is equally human and equally divine. This
was the accepted definition at the Council of Ephesus 431. Then, after a
bit of politics and personality clashes between Rome and Constantinople
on the one hand, and the Oriental Orthodox on the other, a NEW
definition was promulgated at Chalcedon, 451, saying that Christ was of
two natures, one human the other divine. This the Orthodox rejected,
pointing to the original formula at Ephesus. As is well accepted now,
both groups of churches were saying the same thing, though through a
different formula (Ephesus vs Chalcedon). This is why they have begun
reconciling again — because they know the original quarrel was over
‘semantics,’ as this article correctly points out.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ephesus
Ephesus 431 don’t say that. Two nature. And the Virgin is Mother of God, becouse the one person of Christ
I’ve been sharing denouncements about the Muslim persecution of Copts in Egypt ever since I learned about them around 2010. I never expected them to accept blessings of same-sex relations but neither that they would consider us LGBTIQ suffering from what they call a ‘malady’ and much less our way of loving as sinful.
Taking such an intolerant stand, I think they’re not too different from the same intolerant Muslims who persecute them. It’s sad that these institutions prefer to side with the same values that have created honor killings of all sorts, including for females who have pre-marital sex, which are also practiced by some Christians.
I’ll go on denouncing Islamic supremacism but from now on I won’t dedicate a single minute more of my precious life to denouncing the Copts’ suffering since they consider my kind a perversion as much as the Muslims who do and, though not as fiercely, end up endorsing the same mistreatment we get from the maintream society in the regions they come from.
The trouble is that if the whole of humanity became ‘gay’ over night; humanity would die out in one generation! “Go fruitful and multiply ” would be nothing more than a joke.
LGBT “Rights”
1995: We want tolerance
2005: We want equality
2015: Bake the f#### cake, bigot
2016: Say muy pronouns or go to jail
2020: Let me your 8 yo kod, pedophob
Dear Raymond,
This skilled scholar Michael Lofton explains how this of “blessing gay couples” is a media distortion, the media distorts everything.
This PDF: https://reason.podia.com/10-lies
Says this:
“The Fiction:
Pope Francis is said to have approved the blessing of same-sex
unions/relationships in the 2023 document Fiducia Supplicans.
The Facts:
Pope Francis has explicitly rejected blessing same-sex “unions” both in
2021 and in 2023.
Pope Francis’s 2023 document Fiducia Supplicans allows for the blessing
of same-sex persons but not their relationship. By blessing, Francis does
not mean approval but a supplication to receive grace to live a holier life
and to conform to God’s commands that requires same-sex attracted
persons to no longer engage in same-sex acts. This is why a clarifying
document from the Vatican confirmed that same-sex couples (two
persons in a disordered relationship) can be blessed (not approval but a
supplication), but their union/relationship cannot be blessed because it is
sinful.
Additional Resources:
• See here for an in-depth video presentation on the 2023
document Fiducia Supplicans.
• See here for a video examination of the clarifying document by the
Vatican.”
That says. I bless the wheels, but not the bicycle.
…”skilled scholar,” my ar$$.
Lofton is a silly popesplainer who has duped many like you. For instance, you fall for the X says Y is the case, therefore we must accept Y even though it does not make sense.
To demonstrate the serious holes in Fiducia Supplicans missed by Lofton and his fellow travelers, see the superior thinking canon lawyer Fr. Gerald Murray interview with Diane Montagna published at https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/03/fiducia-supplicans-should-be-revoked
In addition, something even more seriously wrong with Fiducia Supplicans is exposed in an article by B. Michael Addison you can find at https://www.catholic365.com/article/36754/the-unconscionable-pastoral-malpractice-of-fiducia-supplicans.html
Usually a big fan of what Raymond writes, and the disaster that is Fiducia Supplicans is deserves the condemnation it receives, but this does not justify their cutting off efforts at reconciliation.
Moreover, while the Copts may want to ride the high moral horse regarding Fiducia Supplicans, it should be kept in mind that their own glass house actually practices/teaches a serious moral sin by allowing that version of polygamy known as divorce and remarriage based on the grounds of adultery or apostasy, yet the Catholic Church has not advised the Copts that such provides an excuse for it to sever efforts at reconciliation.
The Copts would be much better off continuing efforts at reconciliation while continuing to register its disapproval of Fiducia Supplicans. And in the meantime, the Copts should also give up the immoral practice of divorce and remarriage without delay.