Pope Francis’s statement about same-sex civil unions in his interview for Evgeny Afineevsky’s new documentary Francesco has created some confusion among Catholics who had always heard that civil unions between homosexuals are immoral and not to be considered as marriage. Many wondered whether the Pope was betraying Church teaching.

Comments by Cardinal Leo Burke, Cardinal Gerhard Müller and others did not help. These two cardinals are foremost critics of Pope Francis, disagreeing with practically everything he says. And I am afraid Fr Patrick Pullicino’s article ‘Homosexuality and the Church’ (Times of Malta, October 27) did not help clarify the confusion.

It is good to start by quoting verbatim what the Pope really said: “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it. What we have to have is a civil union law – that way they are legally covered. I supported that.”

He also gives a reason for endorsing civil unions – so that homosexual couples may be protected by the law. This protection is very necessary because, despite much civil legislation, homosexuals are still victim of derision and other offences. By reminding us that homosexuals are also children of God, Pope Francis underscores their human dignity.

In their confusion, some may have understood that the Pope was endorsing marriage between homosexuals. This is not the case. On several occasions Pope Francis has insisted that civil union and marriage are not the same.

When in 2010 Argentina legalised same-sex marriage, Pope Francis, then still Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, called that law, “a destructive attack on God’s plan”, but already then, he urged fellow bishops to support civil unions. Moreover, Pope Francis also said that accommodating same-sex partnerships in civil law “does not mean approving of homosexual acts”.

He emphasised the distinction between the two also on other occasions. In a 2014 interview with Corriere della Sera and in another with French sociologist Dominique Walton in 2017 he stated that “marriage is between a man and a woman” and, when Walton asked him about same-sex marriage, he replied: “Let’s call this ‘civil union’”.

Still, some have asked: “Did he change Church doctrine?” A document by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) states that “respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homo-sexual unions”.

There is reason to believe that the 2003 CDF document concerns only LGBT relationships that are treated as identical to marriage. Besides, sometimes we realise that Church practice that may appear good, is not totally in line with the Gospel, and the Church changes it. The first edition of Catechism of the Catholic Church approved capital punishment. In the 2018 revised edition this approval was revoked.

Pope Francis has not changed Church teaching. His aims were purely pastoral. As is his style, he wanted to respond to the wounded. What he has changed is the pastoral approach the Church should have towards LGBT people. Hopefully, his statement will help us be less judgemental and more merciful towards all the children of God.

ajsmicallef@gmail.com

Fr Alfred Micallef, member of the Society of Jesus

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