Vatican denounces Jerusalem gay-pride parade; parade now cancelled

CWNews:

The Holy See has called for the cancellation of a "gay pride" march scheduled to take place in Jerusalem on November 10.

The Vatican press office, in a statement released November 8, said the demonstration in Jerusalem would be "an affront to the sentiments" of believers, and religious principles would be "systematically offended" in a city that is sacred to the great monotheistic faiths.

Here is the statement from the VIS:

"With regret it was learned that, ... on November 10, a so-called 'demonstration of homosexual pride' is due to take place in Jerusalem.

"Reiterating the pronouncements of the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning people with deep-seated homosexual tendencies (para. 2358), the Holy See expresses its intense disapproval of this initiative, because it constitutes a grave affront to the feelings of millions of Jewish, Muslim and Christian believers, who all recognize the sacred character of the city of Jerusalem and ask that their beliefs be respected.

"In the light of these factors and considering that on previous occasions religious values have been systematically offended, the Holy See nourishesthe hope that the matter may be given due reconsideration.

"A note to the same effect has been presented by the apostolic nunciature in Israel to that country's ministry for foreign affairs."

That note, written in English, begins: "The Holy See has reiterated on many occasions that the right to freedom of expression, sanctioned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is subject to just limits, in particular when the exercise of this right would offend the religious sentiments of believers."

The Threshing Grain adds more. It appears that the parade has been replaced by a closed event, as reported by the Jerusalem Post:

Parade organizers announced that the parade was officially cancelled, and pending final logistical arrangements the gay pride event will no longer consist of a march through Jerusalem's streets, rather a closed event at the stadium at Hebrew University's Givat Ram campus.

...

Meanwhile, religious opponents of the parade were holding what they have called a "March of Beasts" on Thursday afternoon.

The protesters were leading cows and horses along the route plotted for the gay parade, Army Radio reported. The High Court of Justice denied four petitions asking to ban the so-called march of beasts.

It looks like the parade is mostly being cancelled because of terror threats against it, but there are other voices as well:

Meanwhile, the Chief Rabbi of Rehovot, Rabbi Simha Kook, appealed to the court to prevent the march, saying he spoke not for himself but for "the entire Jewish people and all of humanity." He warned that allowing homosexuals to march in Jerusalem would "reduce our honor to dust. Jerusalem is at the center of the world because everyone knows it is a holy city."

Kook began to cry as he recited the verse, "If I forget thee oh Jerusalem, let my right hand lose its cunning...What kind of Torah is emanating from Jerusalem! A Torah of filth."

What a mess.