On Sunday, 26th June 2016, Pope Francis, the Head of Roman Catholic Church declared that Christians owe apologies to gays and others who have been offended or exploited by the church. He said: “I repeat what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: that they must not be discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally,” Francis made the statement at a press conference aboard the papal plane returning from Armenia. He continued:
“The Church must ask forgiveness for not behaving many times — when I say the Church, I mean Christians! The Church is holy, we are sinners!” The Pope spoke expansively, saying the church should seek forgiveness for a number of historical slights committed in its name.
“I believe that the church not only should apologize to the person who is gay whom it has offended,” he added, “but has to apologize to the poor, to exploited women, to children exploited for labor; it has to ask forgiveness for having blessed many weapons.”
Many around the world have called the Pope’s comments a breakthrough moment for gays and lesbian community. Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America magazine said: “While St. John Paul II apologized to several groups in 2000 — the Jewish people, indigenous peoples, immigrants, and women, among them — no Pope has ever come close to apologizing to the LGBT community. And the Pope is correct of course. First, because forgiveness is an essential part of the Christian life. And second, because no group feels more marginalized in the church today than LGBT people.”
The Pope’s made the statement when he was answering a question about a German Cardinal who said the Catholic Church should apologize for being “very negative” about gays. The Pope was also asked whether Christians bear some blame for hatred toward the LGBT community, as horrifically demonstrated in the Orlando massacre at a gay nightclub that killed 49 people on June 12.
On Catholic Catechism, Pope Francis went on to say that no one should be condemned for certain behavior. He said: “One can condemn, but not for theological reasons, but for reasons of political behavior…Certain manifestations are a bit too offensive for others, no? “But these are things that have nothing to do with the problem. The problem is a person that has a condition, that has good will and who seeks God, who are we to judge? And we must accompany them as well.”
Recalled that in 2013, Francis during a news conference on the papal plane first said ” Who am I to judge gay people? However, Francis has not changed the church doctrine that calls homosexual acts sinful, but he has shown a more merciful approach to people on the margins, including gays and lesbians.
Francis went on to answer further questions on Brexit, Genocide and the idea that there are two popes in the Vatican.
BaretaNews Statement:
After reading the Papal statement. The underlying message I get is that like any other sins, we should not judge or condemn but show love. We should not discriminate but show compassion. Who am I to judge?
God is still saying something.
1 comment
I do agree with the Pope, who are we really to hate, to be so angry with people because of their sins that we take it upon ourselves to treat them unfairly.
Homosexuality is wrong, so is fornication and adultery, beastiality, indecency and unforgiveness
Perhaps if we treated gays with more love there will be less people committing the sin today. Ours is to pray and not to condemn