Michael Kelly: Pope's Openness Is Not a Prelude to Changes in Core Catholic Teaching

Irish Independent
July 30, 2013

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/michael-kelly-popes-openness-is-not-a-prelude-to-changes-in-core-catholic-teaching-29458085.html

A girl reacts as she is carried by a security officer to Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

When it comes to reporting on the Vatican, there are two constants these days: a whiff of sulphur around the Pope's bank and the alleged presence of a so-called gay lobby at the heart of the church's central administration.

Just as Pope Francis, below, flew to Brazil to celebrate World Youth Day with an estimated 3.2 million young Catholics, the respected Italian magazine 'l'Espresso' carried the front page headline 'La lobby gay' about the Vatican.

You don't have to be a scholar of Italian to work it out.

It is not surprising, then, that when the Pope held an impromptu press conference on board his plane on his way back from Brazil, the issue came up.

"When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby," he said.

"A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will – well, who am I to judge him?" the Pope asked, before going on to say "they shouldn't be marginalised".

The use of the word "gay" is itself remarkable in the comments. In the past, and in official documents, the church has preferred to use phrases like "homosexual persons" or "those with a homosexual inclination".

A 2005 ruling by Pope Benedict on whether a gay person could be a priest oddly drew a distinction and said those with a "deep-seated homosexual tendency" should not be admitted to seminaries.

The decision did not elaborate on what the church felt the difference was between a gay tendency that is "deep seated" and one that is, presumably, more superficial.

In choosing to use the word "gay", Pope Francis is using a colloquial word, but he may also be saying something deeper. Traditionally, the church has adopted a "love the sinner, hate the sin" approach to homosexuality. This has distinguished between the person and the sexual acts (which the church says are intrinsically disordered).

The church's critics have found the distinction tenuous at best and disingenuous at worst.

In using the word "gay", the Pope appears to refer to the overall identity of a person rather than the usual focus on sexual acts.

The "who am I to judge?" line has understandably piqued interest around the globe.

But it would be wrong to think that this signals a dramatic shift in the church's attitude towards homosexuality.