At my last Episcopal parish things went downhill over a thirty year period of time. One of the final straws occurred when the priest conducted a baptism of a young man and she announced two men as the fathers who were presenting him for Holy Baptism. That is how she decided to handle a situation that is becoming problematic for other denominations, even Roman Catholics, in countries that have approved of homosexual "marriages".
In France, it seems that one bishop has his own solution. From "The Church Militant" comes the following,
"A Catholic diocese in northeastern France is endorsing new 'gender-neutral' language in ecclesiastical baptismal registers after the bishop issued a letter recommending the removal of all references to 'father' and 'mother.'"
The traditional terms for parents will be replaced on a default basis with 'the name of the parents or other holders of parental authority.'
The bishop of Langres defended the new guidelines, saying it would enable the Church to adapt its initiation rite to homosexual unions without offending anyone.
'The situation in France is becoming more and more complex. This makes certain Catholic acts difficult, in particular, those that concern baptism,' Bp. Joseph de Metz-Noblat stated in an official letter to clergy on Dec. 13.
'Following canon 843, [ministers can't refuse the sacraments to people who properly ask for them], and since children should not be disadvantaged by their parents' situations, a number of chanceries have found problems relating to what kind of vocabulary should or could be used,' the bishop elaborated.
Writing as the president of the Council for Canonical Questions (Conseil pour les Questions Canoniques) of the French Bishops' Conference, de Metz-Noblat recommended that bishops and clergy adopt the 'new formula in your diocese, since it seems the most culturally appropriate.'"
I would interpret canon 843 to also mean that if someone improperly asked for a sacrament then it can be denied. To my mind, if you cannot promise to raise a child teaching him or her orthodox Christian teaching, then the priest has every right to refuse to perform a baptism until that time that the parents agree to those conditions. That idea is clearly counter-cultural, and this French bishop is incapable standing up to the pressures of the zeitgeist.
Priests and bishops without spines, that is one thing that crosses denominational differences.
Oh yeah, and about the boy who was baptized in my parish... He and his two "fathers" were never seen again which makes me really wonder about the motivation of the priest who had to know that these folks were not fully committed to the vows they made .
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