Pope Francis instructs Catholics to ‘respect’ gay people but stands firm against same-sex marriage
By Ben Kelly
Pope Francis has instructed the Catholic Church to be more tolerant and accepting of nontraditional families, but says opposition to same sex marriage will not change.
The major new document, titled ‘Amoris Laetitia’ (The Joy of Love) has come after nearly two years of consideration on modern social issues. The church asked for the opinions of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics on issues like divorce, abortion and homosexuality. Two synods of bishops and cardinals were held in Rome to discuss the findings.
Although the Pope reaffirms that LGBT people should be respected, and protected from violence, he has also maintained that gay marriage will not be accepted within the church.
The document says that “every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression and violence.”
But, it also says, “As for proposals to place unions between homosexual persons on the same level as marriage, there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
Instead, the Pope’s advice is that same sex families should be given “respectful pastoral guidance, so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives.”
He added that it was unacceptable for local churches to be subjected to pressure on this issue, and that international bodies should not make financial aid to poor countries dependent on the introduction of same sex marriage.
The document shows little change in church teaching, but crucially it permits bishops in each country to interpret doctrine to suit their own country’s culture. This may be a guideline for church representatives in countries like Ireland, where the population have embraced same sex marriage, and accept it alongside Catholicism in their lives.
Pope Francis writes, “Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs.”
The official church position on gay people is that they are intrinsically disordered, but should be accepted and helped to be better Catholics.
The position of divorced people was also at the top of this agenda. Pope Francis described divorce as “evil” and maintained that divorcees should not be permitted to take communion, but called for them to feel welcome in churches and communities.
Elsewhere, the Pope reaffirmed the church’s opposition to abortion, suggested infertile couples adopt rather than have fertility treatment and described sex education as taking on a form of narcissism, “as if an eventual child were an enemy to be protected against.”
He also warned of technology interfering in human relationships, and bizarrely, bemoaned the commercialism of Valentine’s Day.
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