Pope Francis suggested it might be possible to bless same-sex unions in a new public response to cardinals who questioned the pope’s endorsement of the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church.
In the July letter, written in Spanish, he affirmed that “the Church has a very clear understanding of marriage: an exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation “ said the Vatican message.
However, he pleaded for “pastoral charity”.
Pope Francis delivers his blessing to pilgrims during Sunday’s Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, October 1, 2023. Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images
“The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity; this also includes kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement. “That is why we cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude,” he said, according to Vatican News. . He added that “pastoral wisdom must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing requested by one or more persons that do not convey a false concept of marriage.”
New Ways Ministry, a Catholic LGBTQ outreach group, said in a statement that while its statement was not a “full-fledged, strong endorsement of the blessing of their unions,” it represented significant progress in the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics in the church .
In August, Pope Francis called on the hundreds of thousands who gathered before him to shout that the Catholic Church is for “todos, todos, todos” — everyone, everyone, everyone.
When asked if “todos” also includes the LGBTQ community, he replied that although the church has its laws, it is still a place for everyone, including the LGBTQ community.
Pope Francis also criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality.
News of the pope’s comments comes two days before the start of a major three-week meeting at the Vatican to discuss the state of the Catholic Church and its future. The three-week synod, or meeting, begins on Wednesday, October 4th at the Vatican and runs until October 29th.
During this period, more than 450 people from around the world – cardinals, bishops, clergy, religious and laity – will take part in the global gathering.
The meeting will address some current topics such as the role of women in the church and the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. A number of advocacy groups are expected to come to Rome and the Vatican to draw attention to their cause during the synod. These groups represent issues such as ending clergy abuse, the Women’s Ordination Conference, and more.
Some church observers are calling this synod on synodality a historic event, while some conservative church leaders and commentators have speculated that the gathering could harm the church and undermine Catholic teaching.
The synod begins on Wednesday with a mass with new cardinals in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
LGBTQ advocates welcomed the decision.
“Pope Francis’ response is both unprecedented and compassionate and continues to call on all Catholics and leaders to accept and recognize LGBTQ people,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD.
Pope Francis leads an ecumenical prayer with Protestants and Orthodox in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on September 30, 2023. Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images
New Ways Ministry, a Catholic LGBTQ outreach group, said in a statement that while its statement was not a “full-fledged, strong endorsement of the blessing of their unions,” it represented significant progress in the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics in the church .
In August, Pope Francis called on the hundreds of thousands who gathered before him to shout that the Catholic Church is for “todos, todos, todos” — everyone, everyone, everyone.
When asked if “todos” also included the LGBTQ community, he replied that although the church has its laws, it is still a place for everyone, including the LGBTQ community.
Pope Francis also criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality.
According to a Gallup poll, 71% of Americans support marriage equality for LGBTQ people, an all-time high — including 41% of weekly churchgoers.