Understanding Pope Francis’ Response to Same-Sex Union Blessings, by Monica Miller

Monica Miller, Ph.D., is the Director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society. She holds a degree in Theatre Arts from Southern Illinois University and graduate degrees in Theology from Loyola University and Marquette University. …

 

Should the Church allow same-sex unions to be blessed it would be an empty mercy—a mercy that cannot save because it is a “mercy” divorced from the truth of Christ.

On July 12, 2013, Pope Francis told a group of young people, “make a ruckus, but do a good job of it!” The next day, July 13—World Youth Day—he told 30,000 young people: “make a mess.”  What did Francis mean by such exhortations? Certainly, he urged that the followers of Christ disturb the status quo by living the Gospel in the modern world.

Perhaps this author may be forgiven if she sees irony in the pontiff’s statements—as this is a pope who is doing a pretty “good job” in causing a “ruckus” and making “a mess.” However, what’s most important is to understand Pope Francis—to understand the foundational principle that drives his papacy—as this principle is the basis for the most recent “ruckus,” which, it would not be an exaggeration to say, has rocked the Church and perhaps the world.

A sampling of the October 3rd headlines tells the story: “Pope suggests blessings for same-sex unions may be possible” (Associated Press); “Pope Francis Suggests Gay Couples Could Be Blessed in Vatican Reversal” (The Guardian); “Pope Francis signals openness to blessings for gay couples ahead of synod” (Washington Post). …

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