The Vatican honored an openly gay teen [Jack Andraka] with the
International Giuseppe Sciacca Award for [“outstanding youths”] for developing an early pancreatic cancer test. He was honored at the Vatican despite openly
supporting gay rights and wanting to be a gay role model. He believes the Vatican’s stamp of approval
is a wonderful endorsement and move forward for gay rights.
“The 16-year-old junior at North County High School says the award from the Vatican is special. "It's really amazing to be recognized by the Vatican, especially as a gay scientist. I mean this would be unheard of just a few years ago. To be part of this bridge of progress is really amazing," Andraka told WBAL News. "It just shows how much the world has grown to accept people that are gay and are LGBT. It's really amazing."
The Vatican’s honoring of this openly gay teen is being
trumpeted by gay rights groups around the world as another turning point since
Pope Francis becoming our pope.
“Jack is also openly gay, and says that his family and a few close friends had known for about three years, and are very accepting.
He says he used to worry that there were few gay role models in the science field, or that he would be perceived as “that weird gay kid.” But now he hopes he can help inspire other LGBT youth to get involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).”
While I personally think what this
teen has developed is a wonderful tool in battling cancer, I do not think it
was in the Vatican’s best interest to honor someone who openly opposes what the
Catholic Church calls “mortal sin”.
Would the Vatican “honor” an
abortionist who discovers a scientific break-through for ending lung cancer? I doubt it.
So what else has the Vatican done?
Something strange in my personal
opinion.
It’s named one of their telescopes…
wait for it…
LUCIFER.
Yep, that’s right.
The best name the Vatican could come up with
for the WORLD’S BIGGEST Optical telescope is…Lucifer.
Nothing like Christ's Holy Catholic Church honoring the devil. *sigh*
“The Vatican Observatory Research Group (VORG) operates the 1.8m Alice P. Lennon Telescope with its Thomas J. Bannan Astrophysics Facility, known together as the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), at the Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO) in southeastern Arizona where sky conditions are among the best in the world and certainly the Continental United States.The new instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope is a powerful tool that will gain spectacular insights into the universe — from the Milky Way to extremely distant galaxies.A new instrument for the world´s largest optical telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mount Graham, allows astronomers to observe the faintest and most distant objects in the universe.The first LUCIFER observations of star-forming regions are giving scientists an idea of the new instrument´s enormous potential. This image depicts a stellar nursery in the Milky Way about 8,000 light-years from Earth. Such clouds are typically opaque to visible light. However, infrared light detected by LUCIFER can penetrate the dust.”
Just WHAT is going on at the
Vatican?
They couldn't name the telescope after a Saint? I see how they took what letters they wanted from what words they wanted as a description [as if that was the only description available], but really... What were they thinking or were they thinking at all?
**Update: For people questioning the name "Lucifer" not referencing the Devil, I give you the Catholic Encyclopedia's definition of "Lucifer"
**Update: For people questioning the name "Lucifer" not referencing the Devil, I give you the Catholic Encyclopedia's definition of "Lucifer"
The Syriac version and the version of Aquila derive the Hebrew noun helel from the verb yalal, "to lament"; St. Jerome agrees with them (In Isaiah 1.14), and makes Lucifer the name of the principal fallen angel who must lament the loss of his original glory bright as the morning star. In Christian tradition this meaning of Lucifer has prevailed; the Fathers maintain that Lucifer is not the proper name of the devil, but denotes only the state from which he has fallen (Petavius, De Angelis, III, iii, 4).
Tell me what you think.
In Christ,
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
We have to remember that "Lucifer" is not a proper title of the Devil, since the very word is taken from a reference to the King of Assyria in the Prophets; certain Patristic commentators drew parallels between the fall of certain angels and that piece of Scripture.
ReplyDeleteTechnically speaking, all Lucifer means is "Light bearer," just like Crucifer means "Cross bearer." It has no intrinsic connection with the 'name' of Satan (a word that itself comes from Hebrew, meaning 'accuser').
This is reminscient of when certain Protestants saw the image of a woman riding a beast on the back of a 2 Euro coin, and immediately claimed that the EU was the Whore of Babylon. This also is an ignorance of history and language...the woman riding a beast in this case was clearly the myth of Europa riding on Zeus, who changed into a bull - and that's how we get the name, "Europe." It was honoring that fact, not some eschatological theme.
Hello "Unknown"!
ReplyDeleteI have updated the article to include the Catholic Encyclopedia's definition of "Lucifer".
And to add my own view, if you say "Lucifer" nearly everyone in the world will AUTOMATICALLY think of the Devil- it's a given.
For the Church to name ANYTHING "Lucifer" they HAVE to know what will come to people's minds FIRST and FOREMOST.
Do you agree?
Do you see any problem with that at all?
I do, but perhaps it's just me.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
God Bless,
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
I don't feel honoring a guy who is gay for a great scientific achievement is a bad thing. His sexuality is a separate issue from his scientific endeavors. Look at it the other way around... if the Vatican refuses to recognize a significant scientific achievement just because the scientist is openly a sinner, in some way, then most scientific advancements would go unrecognized.
ReplyDeleteCertainly various commentators will interpret this recognition to show that the Church is "accepting" homosexuality and changing doctrines, but such misinterpretations are common among the anti-Catholics and generally ignorant media.
American B.
ReplyDeleteNormally his sins would have no bearing on honoring his achievements but in this case he has identified himself not as a scientist but as a "gay scientist". It's clear he does not want his behavior separated from his profession so to honor one is to honor both.
RE: "Lucifer"
ReplyDeleteActually, (1) the telescope is not named Lucifer, only a specific component/instrument on the telescope has that name; (2) the Vatican did not give the component that name, its designers -- LBT Partners in Germany -- chose that name; and (3) this all occurred in 2010 -- 3 going on 4 years ago!
Sigh!!! It was such a good headline!
Source: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2010/04/lucifer-allows-astronomers-to-watch-stars-being-born
Hello FranR!
ReplyDeleteIs your opinion that anyone can use the name "Vatican" and NOT have the Vatican's approval?
In Christ,
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
Julie, Jack is probably a virgin. He probably hasn't had the time or the inclination to lose his virginity because he's been conducting very difficult research to save lives. Males are aware of their sexual orientation while they're still virgins. Catholic adolescents in this situation frequently try to do the best they can. Catholics like you who assume the worst teach them to believe the worst about themselves. This drives them to clinical depression and even suicide because they've learned self-hatred by absorbing your attitudes..
ReplyDeleteTo Frank: It's not about Jack's virginity or lack thereof, but nice of you to presume on it. It's about SUPPORTING THE GAY AGENDA- gay "marriage" - a MORTAL-SEND YOU TO HELL- sin. That's the issue.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing your views.
In Christ,
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
Julie, that kid and millions like him have the same right to live that you do. He gives them hope that they can contribute to society. You give them despair and suborn their suicides. You deserve to burn in Hell for what you do.
ReplyDeleteI am writing my thesis on the church in the fourth century and keep bumping into an interesting character: Lucifer, bishop of Caligari. His followers were known as Luciferians. It's really throwing me for a loop anytime I see it! But since early Christians saw no problem with naming a child Lucifer, I think it's fair to say that the Vatican is not honoring the prince of darkness but naming a telescope after him!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Lucifer of Caligari would be one of the last Catholics to have that name, since shortly after St. Jerome would start his revision of the Vulgate, in which Lucifer is the name used in that critical passage of Isaiah.
But the fundies and conspiracy theorists are gonna love this one!
No matter how one hears it or reads it, the general public associates 'lucifer' with satan, but what can one expect from a church that holds true to tradition marred in scandal, anti-feminist, and occult beginnings.
ReplyDelete