What Pope Francis Has Said About LGBT Issues & How We Should Treat The Holy Father
Pope Francis has been more loving and friendly toward LGBT people rightfully, but doesn’t approve of their sinful behaviors, either.
Pope Francis has been a controversial Pope, and sometimes, the Holy Father has made a lot of charitable, firm, devout Catholics like myself on the defense in trying to explain his statements that at times can be ambiguous or troubling on appearance. Today, we will go over some of the statements by Pope Francis related to LGBT Matters, as well as broader Church teaching on homosexuality, because too many on the social left are claiming that Pope Francis has endorsed the homosexual lifestyle, and too many within the Catholic faith are misrepresenting his words after media headlines, and bringing scandal upon the faith by not seeking to fairly understand his statements. Pope Francis has made a great many “conservative” affirmations and comments if you will that support the Catholic faith, on the right to life for those in the womb in opposing abortion, on the issue of the immorality of contraception, on the importance of the nuclear family, on the evil of transgender ideology, and on the evils of the corporate hyper-capitalist system that many in my circles of the political spectrum who believe in America First sympathize with. Pope Francis is the head of the Church that Jesus Christ has founded, that is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic: it has oneness through the hierarchy of deacons, priests, bishops, and head bishop: the Pope, who has succeeded St. Peter- head apostle of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago; it is holy because it is guided by the Holy Spirit and maintains its correct teaching authority on faith and morals- even though some of the clergy may fall short in their moral conduct and leadership duties; it is Catholic in that it is universal throughout the world- with neither language nor race nor ethnicity nor wealth breaking the tied bonds of sacraments, worship, and faith devotions that all are unified with in Catholicism; and it is Apostolic in that for 2,000 years the Church has maintained the deposit of faith in which is in the hands of Peter and his successors, now Pope Francis, for primacy. The Catholic Church is the one true faith. And for more historical evidence to believe this, check out the video and written version of said content I have produced linked below.
Regarding Church teaching on LGBT matters, it is not that complicated, though it is a rightfully sensitive and touchy issue. Despite news headlines that say: “Pope Francis approves same-sex unions,” such is not the case in effect, nothing has been dogmatically (officially) bound to the Church in terms of its official teachings, only it has sought to better rhetorically approach such issues. The Vatican said the Catholic Church and its priests cannot bless same-sex unions because God “cannot bless sin.” The Vatican reordered that same-sex “marriages” are a “sin” in a statement released as part of its daily news bulletin. The Catholic Church’s governing body added that queer people cannot be blessed in the faith unless they are single and celibate, as I will note and further elaborate on below, and remember: this is the same call to duty and sacrifice of celibacy that priests and such clergy in the Church are called to. “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,” the Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said in a two-page statement that was approved by Pope Francis.
Pope Francis has rightfully and empathetic ally said: “homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. ... They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it." I wholeheartedly agree: it isn’t fair to abandon those with a certain sexual attraction, although you have a right to disprove of a certain lifestyle opposed by the Church, and you don’t HAVE to associate with those who are bringing you closer to a sinful lifestyle or habit in friendship. But what is true, which Pope Francis says, is that everyone, including homosexuality, deserve to be loved by their parents and have someone to talk to and their dignity as a human person protected.
Pope Francis addressed parents “who see children have different sexual orientations, how they manage that and accompany their children and not hide behind a condemning attitude.” He warned, “Never condemn a child,” which is true. Many young people are going through confusing and stressful times and still understanding their sexuality, and we shouldn’t bully them for that, especially someone young, nor should we affirm transgender thinking and way of life, and direct anyone, let alone young people, to mutilate their genitals, take puberty blocking pills and medications, and downplay the role that sin has on our soul and health, especially when it comes to a delicate area like romance and sex.
We often forget that Pope Francis is the head of a Church that has over 1 billion members in the globe, and seeks to evangelize and engage with several billion more, and he has a great responsibility on his heart, mind, and soul, and we need to pray for Pope Francis, engage with the rest of the clergy with reverence and understanding and prayer, and get involved with local clergy, especially our priest, for more than Sunday Mass and confession accordingly, but more intimate operations to promote the good of the Catholic faith in our community, our parish, and our diocese. The liberal media greatly twists the comments and goes after the reputations of conservatives and traditionalists in our society, why should we expect them to be any more fair to the leader of the most traditional and based and Christ-like institution: the Church that Christ founded- the Catholic Church, and it’s leader: Pope Francis. We should expect their mistreatment of Pope Francis, pray for him and the Church, and seek in our daily lives to better understand the Magisterium- the teaching office of the Church, and promote the good charity of our Catholic faith to those not yet Catholic, be they a separate Christian denomination, or another religion, or no religion at all.
Here’s what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said on homosexuality:
"The Church Seeks To Enable Every Person To Live Out The Universal Call To Holiness. Persons With A Homosexual Inclination Ought To Receive Every Aid And Encouragement To Embrace This Call Personally And Fully. This Will Unavoidably Involve Much Struggle And Self-mastery, For Following Jesus Always Means Following The Way Of The Cross... the Sacraments Of The Eucharist And Of Penance Are Essential Sources Of Consolation And Aid On This Path." They quoted Matthew 11:28-30 which reads: “Come To Me, All You Who Labor And Are Burdened, And I Will Give You Rest. Take My Yoke Upon You And Learn From Me. For I Am Meek And Humble Of Heart: And You Will Find Rest For Your Selves. For My Yoke Is Easy, And My Burden Light.”
And here’s what the Catechism of the One Holy, Catholic, apostolic Church teaches:
Paragraph 2357: “Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.”
Some who are LGBT or know those that are such may be turned off because of our condemnation of their sinful actions, and call Christians hypocritical since we sin as well, but this doesn’t invalidate our condemnation of other sins. Us Christians best not drive those away further from Christ by being overly condemning and rude, nor must we back away from challenges and attacks on our faith, or grow indifferent to sin. Continuing, in Paragraph 2358, the Catechism notes: “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.“
Paragraph 2359: “Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”
Pope Francis must be treated with respect. He, rightfully, is frustrated with the media and other outlets in the world, twisting his words and attacking the Church. He said: “Once I was asked a question on a flight- it made me angry afterwards, it made me angry because of how the media reported it- about the family integration of people with homosexual orientation, and I said: homosexual people have a right be a part of a family, people with homosexual orientation have a right to be in a family and the parents have the right to recognize this son as homosexual, this daughter as homosexual. Nobody should be thrown out or be miserable because of it. Another thing- I said- when we see some sign in children that are growing, and then you send them… I should have said to a ‘professional’, but I said ‘psychiatrist’. I wanted to say a professional, because sometimes there are signs in adolescence or pre-adolescence where they don’t know if it is a homosexual tendency or if the thymus gland atrophied with time- I don’t know, a thousand things, no? So, a professional. The headline of the newspaper: ‘The Pope sends homosexuals to the psychiatrist’. It is not true! They asked me a question and I repeated again: ‘They are sons of God, they have a right to a family, and so forth’. Another thing is… and I explained: I was wrong in using that word, but wanted to say this: ‘When you notice something’… ‘Ah, it’s strange…’ No, it’s not strange. It’s something out of the ordinary. In other words, they took a small word to nullify the context. There, what I said was: ‘they have a right to a family’. And that does not mean approving homosexual acts, not in the least.”
What do the fathers of the Church say about a situation like this? St. Ignatius, who died in AD 108, proclaimed: “Be subject to the bishop as to the Lord, for ‘he watches for your souls, as one that shall give account to God.’ Wherefore also, you appear to me to live not after the manner of men, but according to Jesus Christ, who died for us, in order that, by believing in His death, you may by baptism be made partakers of His resurrection. It is therefore necessary, whatsoever things you do, to do nothing without the bishop. And be subject also to the presbytery, as to the apostles of Jesus Christ, in whom, if we live, we shall [at last] be found. In like manner, let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, and the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the presbyters as the Sanhedrin of God, and assembly of the apostles. Apart from these, there is no Church. Concerning all this, I am persuaded that you are of the same opinion. For I have received the manifestations of your love, and still have it with me, in your bishop, whose very appearance is highly instructive, and his meekness of itself a power; whom I imagine even the ungodly must reverence” [St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Trallians, 2-3 (ANF, Vol. I)].
Pope Francis is the head bishop of Rome & the Catholic Church based in Rome, the Supreme Pontiff of The Church. This office is perpetual and will never end- Jesus promised us this when He established His Church with Peter at the head. Are we to abandon the Church founded by Christ because we disapprove the leadership style of a single Pope in a time of trial- in which the world seeks for us more than ever- and Satan especially, to abandon our Catholic faith and our devotion to Christ? We mustn’t.
The First Vatican Council noted: “If, then, any should deny that it is by the institution of Christ the Lord, or by divine right, that blessed Peter should have a perpetual line of successors in the Primacy over the universal Church, or that the Roman Pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema.”
Pope Leo XIII said: "[The Church] must uniformly remain to the end of time. If it did not, then it would not have been founded as perpetual, and the end set before it would have been limited to some certain place and to some certain period of time; both of which are contrary to the truth." (Satis Cognitum, 3)
Pope Pius IX said: “[heretics] deny also the indefectibility of the Church and blasphemously declare that it has perished throughout the world and that its visible Head and the bishops have erred” (Etsi Multa, 22).
St. Jerome, writing in the fourth century, says: “We ought to remain in that Church which was founded by the apostles and continues to this day. If ever you hear of any that are called Christians taking their name not from the Lord Jesus Christ, but from some other, for instance, Marcionites, Valentinians, men of the mountain or the plain, you may be sure that you have there not the Church of Christ, but the synagogue of the Antichrist. For the fact they took their rise after the foundation of the Church is proof that they are those whose coming the apostle foretold. And let them not flatter themselves if they think they have Scripture authority for their assertions, since the devil himself quoted Scripture, and the essence of the Scriptures is not the letter but their meaning. Otherwise, if we follow the letter, we too can concoct a new dogma and assert that such persons as wear shoes and have two coats must not be received into the Church.” There is a two way street approach to this: progressive “Christians” who pick and choose which sins to tolerate and ignore or condemn, are heretics, like such who found and associate with churches that affirm homosexuality and transgenderism, which is heresy, and those who disagree with Pope Francis’ loving rhetoric towards those that are LGBT while condemning homosexuality and transgenderism still, and leave the Church because they disagree with his leadership style and fail to reverently understand him and his authority, are heretics and/or schismatics; neither of these two groups will inherit eternal life for their thinking & actions.
Ultimately, the debate about Pope Francis and his comments and the nature of his papacy is one that is centered upon a central question: will we treat the Holy Father with the reverence and respect that he deserves, despite our disagreement with his personal political views or statements that are not-binding to the faithful, or the nature in which he leads the Church, or will we bring scandal upon the Church, twist the teachings of the Church and the words of the Holy Father to fit our political agenda, our sinful nature, or our progressive worldview? The fathers of the Church who believed liberalism was heretical and against the faith that mad-trad Catholics quote today far too many times were also the strongest advocates for the infallibility of the papacy, the authenticity of the papal authority, and the necessity of treating the Holy Father, currently Pope Francis, with reverence and understanding, rather than hostility, ill-faith motives, and manipulation. I believe in the traditional Catholic faith not because I believe in the truth of the Catholic Church for a certain period of time before the present day, but because I believe in its undying faith, promised by Our Lord, who in Matthew 16:18-19 told Peter, new head of the Church: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” I choose to remain in the Church Christ has founded, pray for the Holy Father, and offer up the current suffering and sacrifices and trials we are going through for the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Our Lord, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Mother of God, and stand firm on what the faith has taught for all time, and pray for those who seek to downplay sin, push their own agenda, and dismiss what is objectively wrong and pick and choose which tenants of the faith they will hold firm to.
Sources:
https://www.them.us/story/pope-francis-wont-budge-lgbtq-marriage/amp
https://www.usccb.org/committees/laity-marriage-family-life-youth/homosexuality
https://www.hffdl.org/areas_of_ministry/human-concerns/ministries/courage-encourage/
https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/568/
https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/15/210315b.html
http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/quotes.aspx
https://www.catholic.com/audio/caf/what-if-francis-is-a-bad-pope