Evangelical preacher Franklin Graham has lashed out at Pope Francis for âtrivialising Christâs sacrificeâ by ânormalising homosexualityâ.
Pope Francis suggested in a documentary that premiered on Wednesday (October 21) that gay people âhave a right to be part of the familyâ and threw his support behind âcivil union lawâ so same-sex relationships can be âlegally coveredâ.
The comments made global headlines and represented a major break from traditional Catholic teaching.
And itâs safe to say that Franklin Graham is not impressed.
In a lengthy Facebook post on Thursday (October 22), Graham hit out at Pope Francis, branding his comments âunthinkable in light of the Word of Godâ.
Graham went on to reference the Old Testament in his efforts to prove that the family is composed of a âmale husband and a female wifeâ and a number of children.
The right-wing preacher suggested that the love of God is âcompletely inclusiveâ, but went on to claim that people must ârepentâ in order for society to be âsavedâ.
Franklin Graham hit out at Pope Francis for âtrivialising Christâs sacrificeâ.
âFor Pope Francis to attempt to normalise homosexuality is to say that Holy Scriptures are false, that our sins really donât matter, and that we can continue living in them,â Graham wrote.
âIf that were true, then Jesus Christâs death, burial, and resurrection wouldnât have been needed. The cross would have been for nothing. No one has the right or the authority to trivialise Christâs sacrifice on our behalf.â
Graham continued: âI want everyone to know the truth and to find the peace that come sonly from fully surrendering our lives to Him and His commands.
âThe consequence of an unrepentant, unbelieving heart is also clear in the Word of God â eternal death.
âUnless we repent and receive His offer of forgiveness, surrendering our lives to Him, we will spend eternity as part of a different family when we leave this earth â the family of the condemned.â
No one has the right or the authority to trivialise Christâs sacrifice on our behalf.
Grahamâs firm rebuke came just hours after Pope Francis sent shockwaves across the world when his comments were revealed in the documentary Francesco, which debuted at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.
His pro-gay remarks came as a surprise to many within the LGBT+ community, as the pope has previously kept firmly with Catholic Church teachings that oppose any progress in LGBT+ rights.
In 2013, he made global headlines when he called on the Catholic church to âshow mercy, not condemnationâ to gay people â representing a stark shift in tone from his predecessors.
But in 2019, he told a Spanish newspaper that parents who see signs of homosexuality in their children should âconsult a professionalâ â a comment that was considered by many to endorse conversion therapy.
Meanwhile, he has been staunch in his opposition to trans identities, comparing them to nuclear war and genetic manipulation in 2015.
In 2019, the Vatican released a document claiming that âgender ideologyâ is a âmove away from natureâ.
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