|
|
|
|
|
|
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”
On civil unions, the pope said that: “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered.”
SEE ALSO: CDF 2003. CIVIL UNIONS
“A MYSTERIOUS
CLARIFICATION”
“The clarification was mysterious. It was not a statement from one of the many official organs of the Vatican communications apparatus. It was an unsigned set of comments from the Vatican Secretariat of State sent to apostolic nuncios for the benefit of bishops who might be puzzled as to what was going on. That the lay faithful who read the newspapers might be puzzled was not a problem that needed addressing apparently.
Those unsigned comments were then posted to Facebook by the nuncio in Mexico, Archbishop Franco Coppola.”
|
TO UNDERSTAND SOME EXPRESSIONS OF THE POPE IN THE DOCUMENTARY “FRANCISCO” |
PARA ENTENDER ALGUNAS EXPRESIONES DEL PAPA EN EL DOCUMENTAL “FRANCISCO” |
| https://www.romereports.com/amp/2020/11/02/vaticano-explica-a-nuncios-palabras-del-papa-sobre-uniones-civiles/ | |
|
Some statements, contained in the documentary “Francisco” by screenwriter Evgeny Afineevsky, have elicited, in recent days, various reactions and interpretations. Therefore, some useful elements are offered, with the desire to promote an adequate understanding of the Holy Father's words. |
Algunas afirmaciones, contenidas en el documental “Francisco” del guionista Evgeny Afineevsky, han suscitado, en días pasados, diversas reacciones e interpretaciones. Se ofrecen por lo tanto algunos elementos útiles, con el deseo de favorecer una adecuada comprensión de las palabras del Santo Padre. |
|
More than a year ago, during an interview, Pope Francis answered two different questions at two different times that, in the aforementioned documentary, were edited and published as a single answer without due contextualization, which has generated confusion. The Holy Father had first made a pastoral reference about the need that, within the family, the son or daughter with a homosexual orientation should never be discriminated against. The words refer to them: “homosexual persons have the right to be in the family; They are children of God, they have the right to a family. No one can be thrown out of the family or made life impossible for that “. |
Hace más de un año, durante una entrevista, el Papa Francisco respondió a dos preguntas distintas en dos momentos diferentes que, en el mencionado documental, fueron editadas y publicadas como una sola respuesta sin la debida contextualización, lo cual ha generado confusión. El Santo Padre había hecho en primer lugar una referencia pastoral acerca de la necesidad que, en el seno de la familia, el hijo o la hija con orientación homosexual nunca sean discriminados. A ellos se refieren la palabras: “las personas homosexuales tienen derecho a estar en familia; son hijos de Dios, tienen derecho a una familia. No se puede echar de la familia a nadie ni hacerle la vida imposible por eso”. |
|
The following paragraph of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family Amoris Laetitia (2016) can illuminate such expressions: “With the Synod Fathers, I have taken into consideration the situation of families who live the experience of having in their womb to people with homosexual tendencies, an experience not easy for parents or their children. For this reason, we wish first of all to reiterate that every person, regardless of his sexual orientation, must be respected in his dignity and welcomed with respect, trying to avoid “all signs of unjust discrimination”, and particularly any form of aggression and violence. As regards families, it is a matter of ensuring respectful accompaniment, so that those who manifest a homosexual tendency can have the necessary help to fully understand and carry out God's will in their life. (n.250). |
El siguiente párrafo de la Exhortación apostólica post-sinodal sobre el amor en la familia Amoris Laetitia (2016) puede iluminar tales expresiones: «Con los Padres sinodales, he tomado en consideración la situación de las familias que viven la experiencia de tener en su seno a personas con tendencias homosexuales, una experiencia nada fácil ni para los padres ni para sus hijos. Por eso, deseamos ante todo reiterar que toda persona, independientemente de su tendencia sexual, ha de ser respetada en su dignidad y acogida con respeto, procurando evitar “todo signo de discriminación injusta”, y particularmente cualquier forma de agresión y violencia. Por lo que se refiere a las familias, se trata por su parte de asegurar un respetuoso acompañamiento, con el fin de que aquellos que manifiestan una tendencia homosexual puedan contar con la ayuda necesaria para comprender y realizar plenamente la voluntad de Dios en su vida» (n. 250). |
|
A subsequent question from the interview was instead inherent in a local law from ten years ago in Argentina on “equal marriages of same-sex couples” and the opposition of the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires in this regard. In this regard, Pope Francis has affirmed that “it is an incongruity to speak of homosexual marriage”, adding that, in the same context, he had spoken of the right of these people to have certain legal coverage: “what we have to do is a law of civil coexistence; they have the right to be covered legally. I defended that “. |
Una pregunta sucesiva de la entrevista era en cambio inherente a una ley local de hace diez años en Argentina sobre los “matrimonios igualitarios de parejas del mismo sexo” y a la oposición del entonces Arzobispo de Buenos Aires al respecto. A este propósito el Papa Francisco ha afirmado que “es una incongruencia hablar de matrimonio homosexual”, agregando que, en ese mismo contexto, había hablado del derecho de estas personas a tener cierta cobertura legal: “lo que tenemos que hacer es una ley de convivencia civil; tienen derecho a estar cubiertos legalmente. Yo defendí eso”. |
|
The Holy Father had expressed himself thus during an interview in 2014: “Marriage is between a man and a woman. The secular States want to justify civil unions to regulate various situations of coexistence, moved by the demand to regulate economic aspects between people, such as ensuring health care. These are coexistence pacts of a different nature, of which I would not know how to give a list of the different forms. It is necessary to see the different cases and evaluate them in their variety “. |
El Santo Padre se había expresado así durante una entrevista del 2014: “El matrimonio es entre un hombre y una mujer. Los Estados laicos quieren justificar las uniones civiles para regular diversas situaciones de convivencia, movidos por la exigencia de regular aspectos económicos entre las personas, como por ejemplo asegurar la asistencia sanitaria. Se trata de pactos de convivencia de diferente naturaleza, de los cuales no sabría dar un elenco de las distintas formas. Es necesario ver los diversos casos y evaluarlos en su variedad”. |
|
Therefore it is evident that Pope Francis has referred to certain state provisions, certainly not to the doctrine of the Church, reaffirmed numerous times over the years. |
Por lo tanto es evidente que el Papa Francisco se ha referido a determinadas disposiciones estatales, no ciertamente a la doctrina de la Iglesia, numerosas veces reafirmada en el curso de los años |
What did Pope Francis say about civil unions?
During a segment of “Francesco” which discussed Pope Francis’ pastoral care of Catholics who identify as LGBT, the pope made two distinct comments.
He said first that: “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”
While the pope did not elaborate on the meaning of those remarks in the video, Pope Francis has spoken before to encourage parents and relatives not to ostracize or shun children who have identified as LGBT. This seems to be the sense in which the pope spoke about the right of people to be a part of the family.
Some have suggested that when Pope Francis spoke about a “right to a family,” the pope was offering a kind of tacit endorsement of adoption by same-sex couples. But the pope has previously spoken against such adoptions, saying that through them children are “deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God,” and saying that “every person needs a male father and a female mother that can help them shape their identity.”
On civil unions, the pope said that: “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered.” “I stood up for that,” Pope Francis added, apparently in reference to his proposal to brother bishops, during a 2010 debate in Argentina over gay marriage, that accepting civil unions might be a way to prevent the passage of same-sex marriage laws in the country.
[...] Alazraki pointed out that as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he opposed gay marriage.
“I’ve always defended doctrine. And it is curious about the law on homosexual marriage — it is a contradiction to speak of homosexual marriage. But what we have to create is a civil union law, that way they are legally covered. I defended that,”
he said, referring to his efforts to support an alternative to legalizing gay marriage that would still protect the rights of gay couples when it came to matters like inheritance, health care decisions and visitation when one is ill.
[…] Are Catholics bound to agree with the pope on civil unions?
Pope Francis’ statements in “Francesco” do not constitute formal papal teaching. While the pope’s affirmation of the dignity of all people and his call for respect of all people are rooted in Catholic teaching, Catholics are not obliged to support a legislative or policy position because of the pope’s comments in a documentary.
Some bishops have expressed that they are awaiting further clarity on the pope’s comments from the Vatican, while one explained that: “While Church teaching on marriage is clear and irreformable, the conversation must continue about the best ways to reverence the dignity of those in same–sex relationships so that they are not subject to any unjust discrimination.”
https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/not-news-pope-francis-has-supported-civil-unions-years
[Pope Francis] has previously spoken in favor of civil unions at least twice as a way to differentiate between Catholic marriage and relationships recognized by state authorities.
The pope spoke about civil unions in a 2014 interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, in which he acknowledged that states passing civil union laws were primarily doing so in order to provide same-sex partners legal rights.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Many nations have regulated civil unions. Is it a path that the Church can understand? But up to what point? |
Molti Paesi regolano le unioni civili. È una strada che la Chiesa può comprendere? Ma fino a che punto? |
|
Marriage is between a man and a woman. Secular states want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of cohabitation, pushed by the demand to regulate economic aspects between persons, such as ensuring health care. It is about pacts of cohabitating of various natures, of which I wouldn’t know how to list the different ways. One needs to see the different cases and evaluate them in their variety. |
«Il matrimonio è fra un uomo e una donna. Gli Stati laici vogliono giustificare le unioni civili per regolare diverse situazioni di convivenza, spinti dall’esigenza di regolare aspetti economici fra le persone, come ad esempio assicurare l’assistenza sanitaria. Si tratta di patti di convivenza di varia natura, di cui non saprei elencare le diverse forme. Bisogna vedere i diversi casi e valutarli nella loro varietà». |
|
|
|
|
|
|
[He] expressed such a view in 2017 as part of an interview with the French author Dominique Wolton. Asked then about the possibility of marriage for same-sex couples, the pope replied: "Let's call this 'civil unions.' We do not joke around with truth."
From Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda:
https://www.archspm.org/statement-regarding-pope-francis-remarks-on-same-sex-civil-unions/
Pope Francis’ remarks giving qualified support to civil unions of same–sex couples are not his first as pope. While affirming Church teaching that marriage can only be between one man and one woman (2019 Interview), he, along with others who defend traditional marriage, has shown openness to civil unions as a kind of middle way that would allow persons of the same sex in long-term relationships to have legal benefits without a civil redefinition of marriage itself. While Church teaching on marriage is clear and irreformable, the conversation must continue about the best ways to reverence the dignity of those in same–sex relationships so that they are not subject to any unjust discrimination (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2358). The Pope seems to be emphasizing that we are called to find ways of extending a true sense of family to those who find themselves on the margins, so that they might experience the security of belonging and the joy of encountering the life–changing mercy of Jesus Christ.
DETAILED
DISCUSSION
at Catholic News Agency
by JD Flynn
.-
“Francesco,” a newly released documentary on the life and ministry of Pope Francis, has made global headlines, because the film contains a scene in which Pope Francis calls for the passage of civil union laws for same-sex couples.
Some activists and media reports have suggested that Pope Francis has changed Catholic teaching by his remarks. Among many Catholics, the pope’s comments have raised questions about what the pope really said, what it means, and what the Church teaches about civil unions and marriage. CNA looks at those questions.
What did Pope Francis say about civil unions?
During a segment of “Francesco” which discussed Pope Francis’ pastoral care of Catholics who identify as LGBT, the pope made two distinct comments.
He said first that: “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”
While the pope did not elaborate on the meaning of those remarks in the video, Pope Francis has spoken before to encourage parents and relatives not to ostracize or shun children who have identified as LGBT. This seems to be the sense in which the pope spoke about the right of people to be a part of the family.
Some have suggested that when Pope Francis spoke about a “right to a family,” the pope was offering a kind of tacit endorsement of adoption by same-sex couples. But the pope has previously spoken against such adoptions, saying that through them children are “deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God,” and saying that “every person needs a male father and a female mother that can help them shape their identity.”
On civil unions, the pope said that: “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered.”
“I stood up for that,” Pope Francis added, apparently in reference to his proposal to brother bishops, during a 2010 debate in Argentina over gay marriage, that accepting civil unions might be a way to prevent the passage of same-sex marriage laws in the country.
What did Pope Francis say about gay marriage?
Nothing. The topic of gay marriage was not discussed in the documentary. In his ministry, Pope Francis has frequently affirmed the doctrinal teaching of the Catholic Church that marriage is a lifelong partnership between one man and one woman.
While Pope Francis has frequently encouraged a welcoming disposition to Catholics who identify as LGBT, the pope has also said that “marriage is between a man and a woman,” and said that “the family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage,” and that efforts to redefine marriage “threaten to disfigure God’s plan for creation.”
Why are the pope’s comments about civil unions a big deal?
While Pope Francis has previously discussed civil unions, he has not explicitly endorsed the idea in public before. While the context of his quotes in the documentary is not fully revealed, and it is possible the pope added qualifications not seen on camera, an endorsement of civil unions for same-sex couples is a very different approach for a pope, one that represents a departure from the position of his two immediate predecessors on the issue.
In 2003, in a document approved by Pope John Paul II and written by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith taught that “respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.”
Even if civil unions might be chosen by people other than same-sex couples, like siblings or committed friends, the CDF said that homosexual relationships would be “foreseen and approved by the law,” and that civil unions “would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.”
“Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity,” the document concluded.
The 2003 CDF document contains doctrinal truth, and the positions of John Paul II and Benedict XVI on how best to apply the Church’s doctrinal teaching to policy questions regarding the civil oversight and regulation of marriage. While those positions are consistent with the long-standing discipline of the Church on the issue, they are not themselves regarded as articles of faith.
Some people have said what the pope taught is heresy. Is that true?
No. The pope’s remarks did not deny or call into question any doctrinal truth that Catholics must hold or believe. In fact, the pope has frequently affirmed the Church’s doctrinal teaching regarding marriage.
The pope’s apparent call for civil union legislation, which seems to be different from the position expressed by the CDF in 2003, has been taken to represent a departure from a long-standing moral judgment that Church leaders have taught supports and upholds the truth. The CDF document said that civil union laws give tacit consent to homosexual behavior; while the pope expressed support for civil unions, he has also spoken in his pontificate about the immorality of homosexual acts.
It is also important to note that a documentary interview is not a forum for official papal teaching. The pope’s remarks were not presented in their fullness, and no transcript has been presented, so unless the Vatican offers additional clarity, they need to be taken in light of the limited information available about them.
We have same-sex marriage in this country. Why is anyone talking about civil unions?
There are 29 countries in the world that legally recognize same-sex “marriage.” Most of them are in Europe, North America, or South America. But in other parts of the world, the debate over the definition of marriage is just getting started. In parts of Latin America, for example, the redefinition of marriage is not a settled political topic, and Catholic political activists there have opposed moves to normalize civil union legislation.
Opponents of civil unions say they are usually a bridge to same-sex marriage legislation, and marriage campaigners in some countries have said they are concerned that LGBT lobbyists will use the pope’s words in the documentary to advance a pathway to same-sex marriage.
What does the Church teach about homosexuality?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that those who identify as LGBT “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”
The Catechism elaborates that homosexual inclinations are “objectively disordered,” homosexual acts are “contrary to the natural law,” and those who identify as lesbian and gay, like all people, are called to the virtue of chastity.
Are Catholics bound to agree with the pope on civil unions?
Pope Francis’ statements in “Francesco” do not constitute formal papal teaching. While the pope’s affirmation of the dignity of all people and his call for respect of all people are rooted in Catholic teaching, Catholics are not obliged to support a legislative or policy position because of the pope’s comments in a documentary.
Some bishops have expressed that they
are awaiting further clarity on the pope’s comments from the Vatican, while one explained
that: “While Church teaching on marriage is clear and irreformable,
the conversation must continue about the best ways to reverence the dignity of
those in same–sex relationships so that they are not subject to any unjust
discrimination.”
This Webpage was created for a workshop held at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, California in 2020
