<p>As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the pope <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54627625?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitter%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom4=BAD7FC02-13AF-11EB-8E59-5B9C4744363C&at_custom3=%40BBCWorld&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_medium=custom7&at_campaign=64" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">supported</a> legal protections for gay couples while opposing same-sex marriage.</p><p>While Francis did not indicate that the church would change its thinking on marriages any time soon, his statement in the film—and a scene in which he encouraged a gay couple to attend the Catholic Church with their children—was a far cry from guidance released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2003.</p><p>Regarding "Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons," the church—then led by Francis's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI—<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/world/europe/pope-francis-same-sex-civil-unions.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrote</a>, "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions."</p><p>Jesuit priest James Martin <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1318910849436758017" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a> that the pope's appearance in the film "is a major step forward in the church's support for LGBTQ people," which could have positive effects on the treatment of LGBTQIA people around the world. </p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5c3ad88053500d59c162f9fcd00d3c9e" id="3b500"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318919185288863750"><div style="margin:1em 0">Pope Francis's support for same-sex civil unions is a major step forward in the church's support of LGBTQ people. I… https://t.co/zQk3IhKnG9</div> — James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ)<a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/statuses/1318919185288863750">1603289812.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br/></p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7ffa55eb0442ed6aee5411f801939748" id="968d3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318970487242956801"><div style="margin:1em 0">What makes Pope Francis comments supporting same-sex civil unions today so momentous? First, he is saying them as P… https://t.co/uv8YnKywlh</div> — James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ)<a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/statuses/1318970487242956801">1603302044.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), who is Catholic, applauded the pope's remarks.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8e4bd0300a334b335a16f6949b0d4154" id="eefd0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318940116698558464"><div style="margin:1em 0">As a Catholic, I’m pleased Pope Francis is pushing the Church into the 21st Century.
A reminder of what Jesus said… https://t.co/niG0Va2N5D</div> — Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu)<a href="https://twitter.com/tedlieu/statuses/1318940116698558464">1603294803.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Since being elected to replace Benedict in 2013, Pope Francis has been outspoken about a number of social issues and progressive causes, indicating his desire to lead a church which defends the rights of all people and which speaks out against numerous forms of injustice.</p><p>Earlier this month, the pope <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/04/address-inequality-amid-pandemic-pope-calls-global-community-confront-destructive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">condemned</a> "the destructive effects of the empire of money" and skyrocketing inequality during the coronavirus pandemic, and he has<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/18/new-vatican-document-urges-fossil-fuel-divestment-serve-planet-and-common-good" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> spoken</a> several times in recent years about the need to end fossil fuel extraction in order to save the planet. </p><p>The pope also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/09/07/what-has-pope-francis-actually-accomplished-heres-a-look-at-7-of-his-most-notable-actions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">called on </a>the church to keep "open doors" for divorced people who remarry; held a private meeting with a Diego Neria Lejarraga, a transgender man, and reportedly embraced Lejarraga when he asked whether there was a place for him in the church; and said shortly after he was named head of the Catholic Church that he would welcome gay Catholics—in contrast with his predecessor, who referred to homosexuality as an "intrinsic moral evil."</p><p>"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/09/07/what-has-pope-francis-actually-accomplished-heres-a-look-at-7-of-his-most-notable-actions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> Francis in July 2013.</p><p><em>This article first appeared on Common Dreams. You can read it <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/21/pope-francis-signals-historic-shift-catholic-church-publicly-supporting-civil-unions" target="_blank">here.</a> </em></p>From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less