Pope Francis got some flack when he first came to the papacy in 2013 when he said he was not in a position to judge gay clergy. I don’t think he’s changed his view but it certainly seems that the Vatican is hell bent on continuing to make it difficult for Catholic folks who identify as LGBTQ+ to be welcomed into the church and most importantly to have their marriages blessed.
I’ve been a fan of Matthew Fox for several years after reading his book Original Blessing. Matthew is a great free thinking Christian who is a theologian and Episcopal priest. I subscribe to his daily meditations which arrives in my inbox everyday.
Today’s reflection was very poignant for me. All the excitement of the past week stemming from the Vatican’s refusal to bless same sex unions has created heated debate on the subject. Like Dr. Fox I believe that homophobia is a sin. There are countless Catholics including members of the Catholic clergy who are gay. They were made in the image and likeness of God and yet the official church continues to persecute them. It’s a travesty of epic proportion. No mention of homosexuality in any of the four Gospels yet the church continues its stance. I hope you take time to read Matthew’s reflection and to ask yourself what you believe.