Keeping Faith in a Messy Church: A Gay Catholic Perspective on Pope Francis' Endorsement of Civil Unions
As a gay Catholic in a relationship and as a PhD student in theology, I feel like I need to say something about Pope Francis’ endorsement of same-gender unions in the documentary Francesco. First, it must be remembered that what the pope says, writes, and does are ranked in order of significance. So, remarks to journalists on a plane do not have the same authoritative weight as a papal encyclical. That being said, his endorsement of same-gender unions is deeply significant.
First, I think his endorsement has potential positive and life-saving consequences for LGBTQ+ people. On one end of the spectrum there are LGBTQ+ people in countries that have the right to same-gender unions and yet still face rejection from their families and their churches. The Pope’s endorsement is support. On the other end of the spectrum, there are LGBTQ+ people who in dozens of countries face potential imprisonment or death at the hands of the state. Pope Francis is asserting the dignity and rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere. In fact, he is doing so because protecting the dignity of LGBTQ+ people is in line with the Catholic church’s support of human rights as well as official church teaching on homosexuality. Sadly, some bishops around the world refuse such rights.
Second, while Pope Francis when Archbishop of Buenos Aires supported same gender civil unions, this is the first time a pope has come out as supporting them. Whether he endorses them as Pope (speaking as leader of the Catholic Church) or as Bishop of Rome (speaking as one bishop among thousands of bishops around the world with diverse views), he has endorsed them. Oftentimes Pope Francis will clarify which hat he is wearing when he says or does something. Not having seen the documentary, it’s unclear which hat he was wearing when he made the endorsement. Regardless, he is the Pope and what he says and does can leave an impression. He was already known for his “who am I to judge” comment on gay people in 2013. We can add this endorsement to his most memorable words.
Third, as I understand it, the documentary depicts Pope Francis’ own development of thinking on this issue especially in light of a main character in the documentary, Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of sexual abuse. This type of development of understanding is characteristic of Pope Francis. In fact, it is characteristic of his way of being a Christian and being church today, known as synodality (my area of research). Being a synodal Christian and a synodal church means encountering and engaging in dialogue with those who have opposing views to allow the Holy Spirit to transform each person. It is not about persuading the other to take on your position but it is committing to wrestling with another person’s truth and being open to being transformed by it. Pope Francis’ endorsement is an expression of that synodality. Much more can be said about this. Stay tuned for my dissertation.
Fourth, Pope Francis’ endorsement expresses the openness with which he calls all Catholics to speak. This is called parresia. This openness makes clear the obvious diversity of thought and experience that exists in the church. This openness is in contrast to a pre-Vatican II understanding of being church that used uniformity as a coping strategy in response to hundreds of years of losing authority to the Enlightenment, revolution, war, and modernism. A pre-Vatican II Catholic simply had the duty to align their views to the official church position. Under John Paul II and Benedict, openness within the church was not encouraged. Many times it was silenced. Under Pope Francis, the openness in dialogue called for by Vatican II is making a comeback. It is no surprise then that on the same continent, Polish bishops have the most regressive views on LGBTQ+ rights while next door, German bishops see same-gender sexual activity as normal. Incidentally, the fact that so many bishops have remained silent and that for example only three out of about 70 bishops in the Philippines have come out as disagreeing with Pope Francis’ endorsement is telling.
Finally, from the perspective of American Catholicism, Pope Francis’ endorsement once more exposes a deeply polarized church which mirrors the country’s identity politics. On the left, Catholics will celebrate Francis’ endorsement but only cautiously, knowing that official teaching on homosexuality has not changed and continues to cause pain. On the right, Catholics who already reject Francis’ credibility will continue to discredit his authority. We have already begun to hear of calls for clarification on Francis’ endorsement, hoping for a polishing up of the golden calf of church teachings on homosexuality. Pope Francis has spoken out against the rhetoric of the right which expresses a form of neo-Pelagianism. In this ancient heresy, Christians trust in their own powers, express superiority over others, and fiercely adhere to rules, instead of trusting in the Holy Spirit at work in everyone and engaging in dialogue to find grace and truth, pain and grief in others.
As a Canadian and having lived in the US for over a year, I can see how neo-Pelagianism in American Catholicism has polarized and fractured the church. This is clearly expressed by traditional bloggers and media. Instead of seeking unity through dialogue and synodality, there is name-calling, rejection of the other, and fear. Rather than loving one’s enemy, there is a culture of making enemies. Theologian Massimo Faggiloli has written critically and accurately on American Catholicism in recent years. He speaks about American Catholicism as being a litmus test for Francis’ papacy, showing reaction from left and right.
Personally, I’ve seen some shifts in my circles following Pope Francis’ “who am I to judge” comments in 2013. His words and pastoral tone helped me in my discernment to be more out as a gay Catholic. While being gay and Catholic remains a struggle, with God’s help in faithful communities, I must continue to trust in God’s presence in the messiness of truth-telling. I hope and pray that Pope Francis' recent endorsement will bring about grace in the world.
