The 2024 Synod of the Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq. / Credit: Chaldean Patriarchate
Baghdad, Iraq, Jul 25, 2024 / 16:30 pm (CNA).
The bishops of the Chaldean Synod on July 16 issued a statement declaring their position on the blessing of same-sex unions as well as the necessity of protecting children from sexual abuse.
The synod emphasized “the necessity of protecting children from sexual harassment and raising awareness among priests about its dangers,” stressing the importance of priests participating in child protection programs and obtaining certification from the local ecclesiastical authority.
The statement also clarified the position of the Chaldean Church — both in Iraq and worldwide — “regarding the union of two people of the same sex.” The synod asserted that the Chaldean Church does not recognize same-sex unions as marriage, as the legitimate and correct form of marriage for them is one that unites one man and one woman to form a family.
The 2024 Synod of the Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, July 16, 2024. Credit: Chaldean Patriarchate
The statement concluded by firmly rejecting the blessing of same-sex unions in order “to preserve the sanctity of marriage” as one of the seven sacraments of the Church.
The Vatican previously issued directives allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. These directives were framed as an expression of pastoral closeness without condoning sexual relations between people of the same sex.
These directives sparked controversy, prompting the Vatican to issue a subsequent clarification, especially after the misunderstanding led the Coptic Church to suspend dialogue with the Latin Church.
The 2024 Synod of the Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq. July 16, 2024. Credit: Chaldean Patriarchate
The clarification stated that the nonliturgical form of the blessing is not a marriage, nor is it an endorsement or approval of same-sex relationships, but “merely a response from the pastor to two people seeking God’s help.”
This article was first published by ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Arlington, Va., Dec 30, 2021 / 13:00 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of Arlington’s former director for the Office of Child Protection, Father Terry Specht, was indicted last week on two charges of sexual abuse.&nbs… […]
Christmas tree and Nativity scene in Faraya’s Public Square, a town in the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon, in November 2024. / Credit: Municipality of Faraya
ACI MENA, Dec 2, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).
A gun was placed near a Nativity scene on Nov. 23 in the town of Faraya in the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon in the country of Lebanon, sparking outrage among locals.
Residents gathered in the town square ringing the church bells in protest. Security forces have been assisting in efforts to calm the tensions.
The vandals acted at night, removing the statue of the Baby Jesus and leaving a handgun nearby.
Keserwan District is reputed to be the stronghold of Lebanon’s Maronite Catholics. It is home to significant landmarks such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa and the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.
Many see the act as an attempt to wreak havoc during the Advent season in a country currently hosting a large number of displaced people from war-torn regions. Others are awaiting the results of the investigation, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.
Christmas tree and Nativity scene in Faraya’s Public Square, a town in the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon, in November 2024. Credit: The Municipality of Faraya
A parish priest’s appeal
Regardless of the motives behind the act, the incident provoked widespread anger.
Father Charbel Salameh, a parish priest, joined residents in the town square condemning the vandalism and reassuring locals at the same time.
In a brief video, he said: “We will remain vigilant in protecting our village. We hold on to preserving our unity and harmony, for the Lord brings us together. Perhaps this is an opportunity for all of us to gather here and pray in front of this Nativity scene for those trying to sow discord.”
He continued: “Let us not jump to conclusions: May God forgive those attempting to destabilize us. We are here to stay — this is our land, and this is our area. As children of the Church, we pray for whoever committed this act to understand that our sacred places cannot be easily violated.”
“What happened calls for great awareness because impulsiveness can harm us in circumstances as such. We pray that the Lord Jesus brings peace to the hearts and minds of the people and our country, Lebanon, in these difficult times,” he said.
Following the incident, Salameh replaced the missing statue of the Baby Jesus with another one from St. Charbel Church to temporarily fill the void. Security forces arrived on the scene, cordoned off the area, and launched investigations to analyze the circumstances and identify the perpetrators.
The statement of the municipality
The Municipality of Faraya clarified the circumstances of the incident in a statement:
“On Saturday, at 6 p.m., a citizen was taking photos of his grandchildren in front of the Nativity scene in the town square. Surprisingly, the children found a handgun lying on the ground. The man informed nearby shopkeepers. A municipal officer arrived at the square, inspected the site, and contacted security forces, who arrived promptly.”
The statement continued: “Upon investigation, the statue of Baby Jesus was found outside the Nativity scene, among nearby trees. Security forces confiscated the gun and began their investigation, concluding that the statue was not in the manger at the time children were taking photos. This proves that the incident occurred before the children and their grandfather arrived. The photos of the children in question confirm those allegations.”
“In light of these events, the Municipality of Faraya urges the residents and all inhabitants to remain united in brotherhood and love, as has always been the case. Faraya has long been a symbol of coexistence and a model for promoting peace, security, and hospitality,” the statement concludes.
A record of attacks
Last year, a series of attacks on Christmas symbols in Lebanon occurred, particularly in the northern region of Tripoli, home to an active Christian minority. These attacks ranged from dousing a tree with gasoline at St. George’s Church in Mina to throwing a Molotov cocktail at another tree in St. George’s Church square in Zaheriyah.
At the time, these unprecedented acts in the culturally and religiously diverse city were met with widespread condemnation from political, religious, and social leaders of various affiliations.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Why might the inventive blessing of same-sex couples–as “couples”–remind us of the Crowdstrike “blue-screen” computer security meltdown?
Millions of computers were paralyzed by a system upgrade and a glitch that went sideways. As with COVID or the China virus, it’s almost as if a computer “virus” species-jumped from the backroom labs of the computer world! And, coincidentally, just as in June (gay pride month!) when personal computers were infected with an intrusive rainbow screenshot from puppet-master Microsoft boasting of its gay agenda dating back to 1989.
Do we see a pattern here?
The language of anti-binary unilateralism cross-dresses itself and spreads into many idioms. Something like the 1980s when AIDS jumped from the male homosexual population and penetrated the general population, surely through bisexuals. And then, the 1990s when anti-binary and broadened alphabetical tribalism began crowding out complementary human sexuality and the natural family (as Pope Paul VI also warned of contraceptive culture). And, now, infecting the ubiquitous internet world—with unilateral, amorphous and very front-to-back software homogeneity from the personal desktop to the near-infinite cloud. Just a penetrating click away—self-cancelling computer security plus equally ubiquitous and subliminal rainbow-flag propaganda!
In all domains, flat-universe entropy obsolescing “viva la difference”?
In yet another system upgrade and glitch—in the verbiage of Fiducia Supplicans (“couples”)—to what degree do we have a “blue-screen” gradualist obsolescence of moral theology and Humanae Vitae?
Clarity from the Chaldean Church. Where can I sign up?
Why might the inventive blessing of same-sex couples–as “couples”–remind us of the Crowdstrike “blue-screen” computer security meltdown?
Millions of computers were paralyzed by a system upgrade and a glitch that went sideways. As with COVID or the China virus, it’s almost as if a computer “virus” species-jumped from the backroom labs of the computer world! And, coincidentally, just as in June (gay pride month!) when personal computers were infected with an intrusive rainbow screenshot from puppet-master Microsoft boasting of its gay agenda dating back to 1989.
Do we see a pattern here?
The language of anti-binary unilateralism cross-dresses itself and spreads into many idioms. Something like the 1980s when AIDS jumped from the male homosexual population and penetrated the general population, surely through bisexuals. And then, the 1990s when anti-binary and broadened alphabetical tribalism began crowding out complementary human sexuality and the natural family (as Pope Paul VI also warned of contraceptive culture). And, now, infecting the ubiquitous internet world—with unilateral, amorphous and very front-to-back software homogeneity from the personal desktop to the near-infinite cloud. Just a penetrating click away—self-cancelling computer security plus equally ubiquitous and subliminal rainbow-flag propaganda!
In all domains, flat-universe entropy obsolescing “viva la difference”?
In yet another system upgrade and glitch—in the verbiage of Fiducia Supplicans (“couples”)—to what degree do we have a “blue-screen” gradualist obsolescence of moral theology and Humanae Vitae?