UNITED STATES
Los Angeles Times
By Michael McGough
July 29, 2013
In an interview with journalists on his flight back to Rome, Pope Francis said: “When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem…. They’re our brothers.”
Journalists and commentators — Roman Catholic and non-Catholic, conservative Catholic and liberal Catholic — quickly chimed in.
My colleague Tracy Wilkinson wrote: “The church has traditionally labeled homosexuality a ‘disorder’ and under Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in February, men with ‘deep-seated tendencies’ toward homosexuality were to be barred from the priesthood. Francis’ comments seemed to back away from an absolute ban.”
The conservative National Catholic Register interpreted the pope’s comments more cautiously but with a bit of concern: “Taking his statements together, what emerges is a portrait of individuals who have same-sex attraction but who nevertheless accept the Lord and have goodwill, as opposed to working to advance a pro-homosexual ideology. This would definitely include people with same-sex attraction who strive to live chastely (even if they sometimes fail). It also, possibly, could include individuals who are not living chastely but who are not actively lobbying a homosexual agenda.” The Register added: “It would be nice if he’d said a little more to clarify the point further.”
Ross Douthat, the conservative Catholic New York Times columnist, tweeted: “Conservative Catholics suggesting there’s no news in the pope’s remarks are parsing the words, downplaying their context and spirit.”
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