By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi: Pope’s Francis’ recent comments on gay civil union are misunderstood and misinterpreted, says Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the head of the Catholic Church in India and one of the seven advisers of the pontiff.
“There is no change in the Church doctrine at all. The Holy Father’s comments are in full consonance with what he has repeatedly said: Show compassion, reach out to the peripheries, protect the weak etc.,” explains the cardinal in a press release issued October 27 in response to “enquiries from several quarters” in connection with the Pope’s comments.
The Indian cardinal says enquiries were in connection with the Pope’s comments incorporated in a recently released film “Francesco.”
The Pope’s “remarks got wide publicity and there have been different reactions. I considered it necessary to issue a clarification from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India,” Cardinal Gracias says.
According to him, the Pope said that homosexual persons have a right to a family. “It is clear that the Holy Father is referring to the family of birth. This is further clarified when he later states that such a person should not be thrown out of the family, just because of the sexual orientation,” the Indian cardinal explains.
Cardinal Gracias also asserts that Pope has not called for the recognition of gay marriages when he said some protection should be given to those living together. The Pope’s comments are “certainly” not recognition of such people by the Catholic church, the Indian prelate explains.
“Church doctrine drawing from Sacred Scripture and Tradition, is clear and has not in any way been diluted,” explains Cardinal Gracias who was on October 21 renominated to the seven-member Council of Cardinals to advise the Pope.
Pope Francis, the cardinal adds, has only expressed his concern that such people could be “in distress and the pontiff seeks some civil protection to safeguard their interests (e.g. for insurance, social security etc.)”
Science tell us that being gay is not an unnatural or perverse behaviour. It could depend on genes and chromosomes. And there is a biological reason for gender attraction, whether it be something at birth or which develops at puberty. So congratulations to the Holy Father for recognizing that Gays are children of God and deserve our love and affection and treatment as any other heterosexual human beings. The Church’s recognition of the Unions of same sex couples and affording them the love and dignity, in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour, is highly commendable.
The entire controversy stems from a mistranslation of the Pope’s original words in Spanish. The Holy Father never used the words “civil union” or “unione civile”. He spoke of “convivenza civile” thereby referring to the living together of homosexual individuals with the rest of human society, with some measure of civility shown to them, ie. without their being ostracised. The “togetherness” intended by the word “convivenza” therefore is not of homosexuals couples, but of homosexuals individuals with the rest of society.
The problem is that what pope meant by Civil Union is not made clear. The Pope as the head of the Church should say that Civil Union is or is not covered by sexual ethics taught by the Church. Creating confusion and not explaining it to the faithful is very sinful.
Marriage is said to be between a man and woman. The Church is not responsible for the multiplicity of thoughts about togetherness and sexual intimacy without this “ marriage” Then why indulge in that?
Prostitution is a sin as per the Christian teaching. But the civil authorities makes rules to regulate it. Though the Church has compassion on them and desire their conversion, does the Church suggest ways to accommodate prostitution as virtue under some other name like “ Maithri Karar or devdasi etc ? .?
Cardinal Gracias clarification is typical bureaucratic language to mislead the faithful. He presumes that we are infantile in our thinking and we do not understand the meaning of civil union. Sodom and Gomorrah was condemned for homosexuality. We treat our LGBT community with respect and understanding. Everyone knows that. Why is the Cardinal not explaining what is the definition of civil union.This is a cover up and an expected one. Those who disagree are labeled as ones rushing to judgement and casting the first stone. Whose teaching was this “Those who deny me before men I will deny before my Father in heaven”.
It is highly preposterous of the Holy Father to even suggest that ‘those living together’ be covered under some kind of legislation that allows for any kind of protection whatsoever.
Considering that no marriage in the Catholic Church other than the Church’s Sacramental bond between a MAN and a WOMAN has the Church’s blessings, one fails to understand why the pope would want to comment on the security aspect of a non-sacramental union, be it of a heterosexual couple or a gay/lesbian couple. The fact is that by and large international laws governing the twin institution of Marriage and the Family are based precisely on the permanent nature of the marital union as propagated by the Christian Faith. So, if His Holiness is so concerned about how those living in same-sex marriages suffer for want of protective cover of any kind, why stress the importance of a Catholic Sacramental Marriage at all? It is best that the Church not merely stays out of the marriage issue altogether but also drops the Sacramental celebration of the marital union in Church, thus allowing civil legislation to take full control of all marital unions, be it between a normal heterosexual couple or gay/lesbian partners. Amen!
Pope wants the rights of the LGBT community protected through a legal civil union. Marriage in the church is hetro-sexual and the Pope has not changed the stance of the Catholic Church on it. What’s the hassle? shanticty@yahoo.com