San Francisco city supervisors slam Vatican position on gay adoptions
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San Francisco, Calif., Mar 23, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The City of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors issued a statement Tuesday, calling on the Vatican to change its directive against gay adoptions and urging the new archbishop of San Francisco, Archbishop George Niederauer, to defy the Vatican.

"It is an insult to all San Franciscans when a foreign country, like the Vatican, meddles with and attempts to negatively influence this great city's existing and established customs and traditions, such as the right of same-sex couples to adopt and care for children in need,” stated the nonbonding resolution, which was passed unanimously.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco has indicated that it will comply with the Vatican, but Catholic Charities of San Francisco’s executive director said Tuesday that the agency’s policies and procedures have not changed, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. Since 2000, the agency has placed only five children with same-sex couples.

In their resolution, the city’s elected officials called a 2003 Vatican document that addressed same-sex unions and gay adoptions "hateful and discriminatory rhetoric (that) is both insulting and callous, and shows a level of insensitivity and ignorance which has seldom been encountered by this Board of Supervisors,” reported the Chronicle.

The supervisors called Archbishop William Levada, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who reminded Catholics last week of the Vatican’s position against gay adoptions, a decidedly unqualified representative of his former home city and of the people of San Francisco and the values they hold dear.”

Supervisor Tom Ammiano, a gay Catholic, parent and grandparent who wrote the resolution, told the Chronicle that he believes Catholic Charities appears to be trying to find a creative solution to the situation.

At the same time, some fear a conflict of interests as Catholic Charities newly-hired director of programs is an openly gay man who has an adopted child together with his partner.

City Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, a married Catholic, said he believes the Church “made a mistake” in its position and voting for the resolution was the right thing to do.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Samantha L.
Denver 08/12/2006 05:36 PM EST
Helen of Scotland has it all wrong..You cannot have sexual relations as a GLBT and receive the sacraments! Wake up, Helen!
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Published by: Bob Rice
New Hartford, CT, USA 08/12/2006 02:02 PM EST
Helen,
Just to clarify something you may not be aware of. You cannot be a "practicing Catholic" and be in a homosexual Union. One excludes the other. To be involved in homosexual relationship performing homosexual sex places one in "Grave Sin". This person loses God's Sanctifying Grace and is in danger of Mortal Sin placing their immortal soul in danger.

To be a practicing Catholic you "must" be in agreement with "all" the precepts of the Catholic Church. It is all or nothing when it comes to being a Catholic. You cannot be a Catholic and slander the Church, the Pope, the Holy See or the Bishops or practice any lifestyle which is not sanctioned by the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
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Published by: Helen
Scotland 08/12/2006 04:02 AM EST
Ed, I really object to your unchristian tone. It is highly offensive to refer to LGBT people as heathens. I attended a civil partnership recently, and it was a truly spiritual celebration. One of the partners is a devout practising Catholic. She and everyone who attended would object strongly to her or anyone else being described as a heathen. Take the plank of wood out of your own eye...
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Published by: Paul
south shore/MA/ USA 03/27/2006 03:31 PM EST
Look, I understand why people are upset but I think it's ridiculous for them to say 'the church must change'. Rome has its reasons for its decisions and it isn't really up to me to question them like a rebellious teenager. So thanks for your attempts to take over God's job, but I think he's doing quite nicely with it.
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Published by: Jim
Port Orange/FL/USA 03/24/2006 08:01 AM EST
Upon reading this article, there is more sorrow in my heart over the present situation in San Francisco than ever. The poor children of San Francisco are the victims of this city's arrogance and flawed justification of a lifestyle that clearly deviates from natural and church law. Who is truly being hateful here? The church is acting in accord with Christ and true love when she admonishes and calls for those in mortal sin to straighten out. This will prevent people from passing into an eternity apart from grace. The church must discriminate in order to choose between right and wrong or if you will good and evil. To steer someone from the gates of hell is not hateful but loving and I hope that the fallen away Catholic brethren in San Frans city council and Catholic charities have their conscience jarred before it is too late. Already the hour is late; it is difficult to change a heart of stone into a fleshy heart able to follow Christ. It will be our own hearts of stone that will be like the millstone tied about us as we are cast in the sea. Lk 17 strongly warns us about ever leading one of the little ones to sin. As for their denial of the churches Magisterium and her authority to teach on faith and moral matters, may they remember this: Jesus once told his 72 appointed "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." Please San Francisco; stop your rejection of Christ, for everyone’s sake
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Published by: Ed McGarvey
Hooversville, Pa 03/24/2006 12:28 AM EST
As the Anti Christ Government of San Francisco pushes the Gay movement, we Christians shall rest easy to know that Our Creator, God he created a ceremony to unite two of his Children in Holy Matrimony, In the eyes of God he unites one man and one woman into marriage before and in the Eyes of God. Any form of unity between heathens shall not resemble our Holiest of all Religious Ceremonies called Marriage. Amen
Ed McGarvey Hooversville, Pa
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