John Mitchell

A formal response issued Monday by the Vatican answered the question of whether or not the Catholic Church would bless same-sex unions. The answer was a resounding “no.” Approved by Pope Francis, the two-page explanation declared that the church would continue to welcome members of the gay and lesbian community, but would refuse to bless their unions. As reported by The Associated Press, “the note argued that such unions are not part of God’s plan and that any sacramental recognition of them could be confused with marriage.”

The response further elaborated that “The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”

While Pope Francis has widely been seen as being somewhat more tolerant of the gay and lesbian community than his predecessors, he has refrained from treating same sex-unions as equal to their heterosexual counterparts. Although he has endorsed providing legal protections to same-sex unions, he has continued to insist such unions are not equal in the eyes of God, and that they are still a sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

As The Associated Press further elaborates, the Vatican’s recent response “explained the rationale for forbidding a blessing of such unions, noting that any union that involves sexual activity outside of marriage cannot be blessed because it is not in a state of grace.”

We reached out to Daniel George, President of the Abington Christian Fellowship organization here at Penn State Abington, who told us that altough he could not speak for ACF as an organization, he could offer his own perspective on the matter.

“It is true that there are many Christians who believe that same-sex relations are a sin, and the Bible does say as much. But the one thing that Christians should be known for is not pointing out the sins they see in other people, but for our love. One of the wisest things I was ever taught about this that while you may not disagree with someone’s lifestyle or choices, don’t let that keep you from showing God’s love to them.I still remember the day I saw on campus protesters waving signs about “homosexuals are going to hell” and yelling at anyone who walked by. That makes me angry. Jesus died out of love for people He didn’t expect anything in return from. That kind of humility is what I want to be known for. It’s God’s work to change us, and I can’t try to do that job in someone else’s life while missing out on what He is doing in mine.”

We also reached out to Spectrum, Penn State Abington’s LGBTQ+ organization on campus. Cat Monteith, President of Spectrum, had this to say on the matter:

“Even though the term “Catholic” means “universal” and the Church preaches about loving and accepting everyone, the love proclaimed for the LGBTQ+ Community seems conditional at best. While the Vatican has made greater strides for acceptance in recent years, this more blatant rejection, which still considers homosexuality as “sinful,” is disheartening, especially for people who saw newfound hope within the Church. It is even more disturbing, however, that love and consensual relationships are still vilified and belittled by the Church, whereas pedophilia, something truly harmful, was repeatedly dismissed and easily pardoned. Unfortunately, this message, approved by Pope Francis himself, will likely encourage alienation and potentially harm towards the LGBTQ+ Community from the Church and its members.”

The Vatican’s recent statement has met with mixed reactions around the world, with reactions raising from praise from the conservative Catholic League that “The door has been slammed shut on the gay agenda,” to disappointment from LGBTQ+ groups, who see the Vatican’s response as disappointing and tone deaf. For now at least, it is clear that the future of the Church’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community is fraught with conflict, and only time will tell if tensions ease.