On Oct. 13, the Vatican publicly spoke out about gay and lesbian couples – unexpectedly this time in a positive way. It’s groundbreaking to hear this from the Roman Catholic Church, one known for its stringent and relatively unchanging views, and it is clearly representative of Pope Francis’s papacy. It shows that tolerance within the church has reached an all-time high, despite some backlash from conservative Catholics, including some Cardinals. When one considers the Vatican’s report in light of Pope Francis’s previous actions, it indicates that the Roman Catholic Church is changing for the better.
Pope Francis has shaken the Catholic world before with words regarding homosexual people. In 2013, he even said “Who am I to judge?” referencing same-sex couples, CNN reported. The Vatican has recently been involved in a “Synod on Family,” basically just meetings to discuss what family is today in the Catholic Church, with nearly 200 cardinals, bishops, priests and the pope himself. Halfway through the synod came a brief containing the idea that gay unions, not gay marriage, could be positive. “The document, released halfway through the two-week meeting of bishops, mentions the ‘gifts and qualities’ of gay Catholics,” according to USA Today. This is a huge step in the right direction for the Catholic Church. Its previous, and seemingly unchangeable, views have likely turned many away from the Church, especially those that are homosexual, or who know someone who is homosexual. Even by simply considering gays and lesbians as a reality within the Church and addressing that they are, in fact, people like everyone else who can bring something to the table, the Roman Catholic Church took a leap towards tolerance. Freshman government and world affairs major Natasha Acosta was happy with the Church’s initial statement. “To me as a person who’s Catholic, I think we need to spread love and acceptance more than hatred and bigotry,” Acosta said.
Not everyone is ready for this change in outlook, however. Several cardinals, including Cardinal Raymond Burke of the United States, rapidly and forcefully stood against these ideas discussed within the synod. Burke even went so far as to call homosexual relationships “‘intrinsically disordered,’ and dangerous for children to be exposed to,” according to The Huffington Post. Such views, while ill-supported, are understandable. The Roman Catholic Church has always outwardly expressed that homosexuality is inherently wrong, is a sin, and should not be acted upon. With this synod, however, the Church is conveying ideas that differ greatly in their acknowledgement of and basic acceptance for gay and lesbian couples.
It makes sense that at least some of those who work as cardinals, bishops, and priests would initially lack the empathy and understanding of these couples and the unspoken change within the church. It would even make more sense that many of those who are less directly connected with Pope Francis, such as Catholic parishioners, would harbor their traditional views in lieu of immediately accepting this subtle but substantial change in Vatican thinking. Catholics who are more liberal need to be patient with their conservative counterparts who are slow to move away from consistent, unchanging views to those more widely accepted in modern society. This is especially important considering no official change to Church doctrine has yet been made and no obvious plans to change it are in the public eye, according to The Washington Post.
Even while much of the Catholic world has yet to make significant changes since this document was released, this new mentality was likely instituted by Pope Francis. He has interacted with society in a surprising and quite modern manner since the conclave concluded in his favor. Pope Francis has denied the papal suite, limo and the traditional and expensive red leather shoes, all the while taking selfies with young people, touching the disfigured, kissing small children, and generally interacting with the public on a personal level, according to CNN. This seems to be the newest, and possibly most influential, thing Pope Francis has been involved in so far.
Through the synod, he and the cardinals, bishops and priests are discussing different types of family using “non-judgemental language,” as reported by The Washington Post. While mere discussion is nowhere close to actual change to Church doctrine, it’s a crucial step toward tolerance of others. Ultimately, it proposes the idea of living more like the Church’s historical founder, Jesus, in truly caring for others, no matter what they are involved in or what their relationship status is, rather than spreading hate and ignorance because of the Church’s history or doctrine. This level of understanding and communication is imperative in order to progress in our increasingly global society. Whether further change will be seen within the Roman Catholic Church remains to be seen as action on the many family issues discussed, including cohabitation and homosexual relationships, will be acted upon in the year following the synod, according to USA Today. Understanding and tolerance seem to be the ultimate goal of the Synod on Family, but hopefully some positive action and influence will result as well.
When regarding the Vatican’s brief on the synod, it is important to note that they clarified their claims after the fact. The Vatican said in another small statement that the “it wanted to welcome gays and lesbians in the church, but not create ‘the impression of a positive evaluation’ of same-sex relationships,” according to CNN. This was certainly a move to protect itself from the outrage of conservative Catholics, even if it held some truth. While the synod statement clearly said positive things about gay and lesbian people, it did not clearly say that homosexuality in particular was looked at in a positive way. Therefore, while this is a remarkable and even historical move for the Roman Catholic Church, it still isn’t a thumbs-up to ‘alternative’ lifestyles outside of the traditional nuclear family.
It wouldn’t be all that surprising if no doctrinal change is made for many years. What Pope Francis and his like-minded clergymen have done is plant a seed of thought, urging all Catholics to consider homosexuals like the people they are, rather than a sinful breed of heathens. Basically, the change amounts to a gradual warming up to the ideas brought up in the synod, rather than the church dropping its parishioners in a figurative boiling pot of ideas and watching them angrily bubble over.
The Synod on Family has certainly offered an interesting new perspective of the Roman Catholic Church and its influential leader, Pope Francis. One week into the gathering, it has demonstrated a new level of tolerance and overall acceptance brewing within the church casting a hopeful light on the future.
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