Pope Francis is chill with same-sex unions. Can we follow suit?
ICYMI, Pope Francis recently made a landmark statement by pvblicly supporting the idea of same-sex civil unions. Per the Catholic News Agency, the historic quote came from his documentary ‘Francesco’, which premiered last Oct 21 at the Rome Film Festival.
‘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’, he said.
‘What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that’.
As this belief is far-removed from the Church’s more…erm, ‘traditional’ beliefs, the Internet wasted no time celebrating.
You have Ellen Degeneres tweeting ‘Thank you, Pope Francis, for seeing what love really is’. Some say that they’ve never been more proud to be a Catholic. One pointed out that the remark is a show of support – not just toleration, something that the LGBTQ community has advocated for years.
Thank you, Pope Francis, for seeing love for what it is.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 21, 2020
What makes Pope Francis comments supporting same-sex civil unions today so momentous? First, he is saying them as Pope, not Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Second, he is clearly supporting, not simply tolerating, civil unions. Third, he is saying it on camera, not privately. Historic
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) October 21, 2020
But as with all progressive stances, there are caveats to the remark of Pope Francis. For one, he isn’t pushing for gay marriages in the Church, which is of cultural importance in pre-dominantly Catholic countries such as the Philippines.
His ‘I stood up for that’ line references his time as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, where he opposed the idea of same-sex marriages, but advocated that there should be legislation that protects the rights of gay couples.
Fast forward to today, he is basically doubling down on the same stance. Still, even with the finer details, one thing is clear: Pope Francis is chill with the idea of same-sex relationships.
In a time where influential institutions struggle to move on from the same time period when they were founded, it is a momentous stance. Especially when outdated beliefs are used to crucify people for just being who they really are. Or when they are denied a basic sign of respect, simply because they do not conform to what society perceives is ‘normal’.
Here in PH, we may never see the union of gay couples in Church or in a legal setting. At least not in our lifetimes. Filipinos are simply too stubborn, too loyal when it comes to status quos, regardless of how flawed they may be.
But at least with Pope Francis remarks, it gives the devout something to think about. After all, if its own Chief can be open to new possibilities, why can’t the rest of the Church and its followers be the same?
The post <b> Pope Francis is chill with same-sex unions. Can we follow suit? </b> appeared first on WE THE PVBLIC.
Source: we the pvblic
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