Catholic bishop calls on church to accept gays and divorcees
A bishop in Malta has said he thinks the Catholic church should accept gay and divorced couples.
Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo, said the Church should be “an experience of God”, not a “moral agency”.
Speaking to the Sunday Times of Malta, Grech said he thought the Church had been sending “harmful” messages.
He denied that preaching acceptance for gay people is a last ditch attempt to salvage the falling numbers of church attendees.
“I fear that at certain times we have put the cart before the horse as we speak on moral obligations but leave no room for mercy and forgiveness,” he said.
As well as accepting divorced and gay couples, Grech went further to say the Church should support gay couples who want their children to have a Christian education.
Of people who have divorced and remarried wanting to receive communion, Grech said the Church should not refuse them.
“We seem to have very clear ideas about justice and love but then stumble upon kindness,” he says.
