Pope Francis agitates conservative U.S. Catholics with a presumed softer policy on homosexuality
That Pope Francis was determined to set out a very new kind of Papal stall became apparent very early on. Returning on “’Shepherd One’” (The Papal 747) from World Youth Day, Francis surprised reporters with an impromptu, stand-up press conference where he said:
”When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalised. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem… they’re our brothers.”
Commenting on the online blog Catholic Vote, Joshua Bowman wrote: “Some people with homosexual tendencies choose to accept the salvation of our Lord and maintain a life of chastity. This is the key to what Pope Francis is saying: people with homosexual desires who are able to exhibit this level of self-control should be welcomed as our brothers and given encouragement in their struggle. This is a very beautiful statement. However, it does not say anything about people who give in to carnal desires and live promiscuously — whether gay or straight.”
Not surprisingly, then, the Roman Catholic Church’s intractable homophobia got onto the agenda for an exceptional synod in the Vatican recently.
Proposals for a wider acceptance of homosexuals – not homosexual practice, though – failed to get the two-third majority it needed to become a Roman Catholic basis for informing the church’s contact with homosexuals. The original proposition was that, “people with homosexual tendencies must be welcomed with respect and delicacy.” This was replaced with something very different: “homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community.” Gay Catholics (an oxymoron to a very sizeable section of Christians of all denominations – though they may not admit it publicly), gay rights groups and allegedly the pope himself, felt let down.
It is important to note above the euphoria with which large sections of the Roman Catholic Church, especially among the younger adherents greeting the “Revival Pope”, that he has not suggested changing one iota of Catholic doctrine on abortion, contraception or homosexuality per se, but has now simply stated the obvious: that homosexuals should not be marginalised by the church. “God is not afraid of new things,” Pope Francis said during the conclusion to the synod. “That is why he is continuously surprising us, opening our hearts and guiding us in unexpected ways.”
Cue the catatonic outrage from U.S. conservative Catholics. Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput sums up the response by saying that under this pope, the Roman Catholic Church is ”a ship without a rudder” and that “the faithful are feeling a bit seasick.” He even went so far as to condemn the recent Vatican conference as producing “confusion of the devil”.
However, Pope Francis, who quickly established a reputation for humility, sincerity and even humour, should not be misunderstood. He is not planning any fundamental changes in doctrine; what he does want to encourage is a more humane and, dare we say, Christian, response from the Catholic hierarchy towards a number of topical issues, most controversially here, homosexuality.
“The conservatives had it all their own way for about 30 years, and now the shoe might be on the other foot,” quotes Rev. Paul Sullins in USA Today, a priest who teaches Sociology at the Catholic University of Washington, Washington DC. ”Now they feel on the outside a little bit, which is exactly how the progressives used to feel.”
Some believe that the pope is not getting a fair hearing, and that he is being quoted according to what people want to hear. Arina Grossu, a 31-year-old University of Notre Dame graduate suggests, “A lot of mainstream media reporting is based on what people hope Pope Francis is saying, instead of what he is actually saying.” The result, she concludes, “only adds to the noise and confusion.”
Perhaps not so confusing is the fact that Pope Francis has had meetings with leading Evangelical and Charismatic church leaders, including the high-profile billionaire Kenneth Copeland. Fears of a worrying rapprochement between the Evangelical movement and the Roman Catholic Church go back to the 80s. Long treated as apostates, and dubbed ”The Whore of Babylon” as described in the book of Revelation by traditional evangelical fundamentalists, it comes as a matter of grave concern to many that the Catholic Church should be co-operating with the Evangelical Church at all.
As the Evangelical/Charismatic/Pentecostal churches continue their fractious debate on homosexuality – highlighted recently by the ‘coming out’ of much sought-after worship leader, Vicky Beeching, as gay – more people than expected, perhaps, are not at all surprised to see the Roman Catholic Church’s global leader and alleged Vicar of Christ coming out himself! (In favour of a more homosexual-friendly approach, that is.)
Elizabeth Dias, writing in Time notes: “If there is a single takeaway, it may be this: Pope Francis showed the world that he is not afraid of making mistakes. He takes risks, and his commitment to listening allows a host of voices to rise and controversy to surface.”
Amen to that.
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