Pope Francis calls for civil union laws for same-sex couples

[Zorro]

Source: Washington Post

Pope Francis, in a new documentary, has called for the creation of civil union laws for same-sex couples, in what amounts to his clearest support to date for the issue.

In the documentary, according to the Catholic News Agency, Francis is quoted as saying that same-sex couples should be “legally covered.”

“What we have to create is a civil union law,” he said.

Francis has long expressed an interest in outreach to the church’s LGBT followers, but his remarks have often stressed general understanding and welcoming — rather than substantive policies.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-francis-civil-unions/2020/10/21/805a601c-139e-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html

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More substantive reporting at the link.

[The Magistrate]

1. That's Something To Hear From A Pope, Sir

A pleasant surprise.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Yes, but civil union denies survivor benefits & hospital visits, etc. No replacement for marriage

Quite a step for a pope, yes, but still mired in denial.

[Claustrum]

5. Many countries starts with civil union before they move onto same sex marriage.

You need to start educating and changing people's mind with small steps. I would say it's still a huge deal that the pope is vocal about civil union.

[The Magistrate]

6. I Agree, Sir

The Vatican still has quite a ways to go, on this and many other things. I think that this step can be taken to indicate a sea-change on the matter setting in even among extremely traditional persons, which would bode well for the future.

[Warpy]

12. That depends on the laws governing civil unions

After all, the church calls any marriage that happens outside it a civil union, even if it is legally recognized as a marriage. It;s just not a sacramental marriage.

Semantic hairsplitting is everything to a religious official who has been cornered. Same sex marriage will be legal with access to the same body of law as opposite sex marriage, they just won't call it that inside the church.

This is a huge leap for the man.

I just hold out little hope that women will ever be considered adult human beings.

[BlueWavePsych]

19. Countries in South America, Africa and the Philippines still see LGBTQ as a sinners.

So, definitely a step in the right direction and cognitive dissonance for the orthodoxy

[olegramps]

21. He is walking in the footsteps of Pope John XIII. The man who gave hope to the church.

I was there at the time in a seminary when John, one of the most charismatic popes in centuries of ridiculous exaltation of the papacy won the hearts and minds of many who subsequently packed their bags and voted with their feet. The years have clocked their steady venture as what was once was a powerhouse without a moral compass has been reduced to a whimpering farce. Anyone with two connected brain cells has long ago abandon these throwbacks to stone age mentality. The ultra-ultra extreme, such as the bride of ignorance who is going to be our next idiot to set in judgement on the Supreme Court will attempt to take us back to the centuries of witches being gloriously burned at the stake to glorious chants of praise.

Don't deceive yourself for one moment, these bastards as evil as the day it long. How in the hell do you think that they got away with the sexual abuse of children for decades? They were able to avoid detection from justice because they were protected by the very same people who were just as guilty.

[blm]

2. This is BIG for any religious leader. Amazing for a Pope.

[jonstl08]

3. This will cause some headaches in the church

As a person who went to 12 years of Catholic schools this will cause some anxiety in the church especially with the conservative caucus of the church. I bet Cardinal Raymond Burke is having a fit right now.

[edhopper]

7. Sorry, not good enough.

separate but equal is inherently unequal.
It's not Gay marriage, it is just marriage.

[ToxMarz]

24. Or Civil Unions for everybody!

As long as it's equal under the law. Govt shouldn't be in the marriage business anyway, people only involved them to get their marriage bundle of kickbacks (and withhold them from the "others&quot

[George II]

8. Interesting. Being a devout Catholic herself, I wonder how Barrett feels about that?

[sandensea]

11. She must miss Ratzo, that's for sure

I've never met a right-wing Catholic who doesn't.

[NorthOf270]

14. She probably openly scoffs at this pope

[DeminPennswoods]

20. Too bad no one will get a chance to ask her

nt

[LiberalFighter]

9. Yet in all 50 states there are same-sex marriages.

Does the Catholic Church allow same-sex marriages in their churches or by their priests here in the US?

[NCjack]

10. Looks like a nuthinburger. No church wedding, no marriage.

[TommyCelt]

13. Someone ought to be tasting Frank's food...

The conservatives HATE this guy.

[rurallib]

15. very true. His resignation letter has probably been written for him

and will be accepted graciously when he retires very soon.

[olegramps]

22. He will be lucky if he resigns. He could suffer the same fate as John Paul I.

[rurallib]

25. sudden visit to the boss?

[StevieM]

16. I seem to remember that the Catholic Church made a similar proposal in Argentina a few years ago.

It was accompanied by a proposal that lesbians be legally banned from taking part in artificial insemination.

[BlueWavePsych]

17. K&R

[Sherman A1]

18. Good

This is a good thing.

[LittleGirl]

23. Who is this guy and what did he do with the Pope? nt

[Tiger8]

26. What about the millions of LGBTQ who are DEAD because of Catholicism?

Civil unions are a piece of crap....like saying you are 3/5 of a person.

Catholicism demands you confess your sins.....but why haven't they confessed the many, many sins of their own....including causing the suffering and death of millions of LGBTQ+ who died from suicides, hate crimes, addictions and other mental illnesses that have resulted from them declaring gays to be an abomination to God, as a willfully evil, sinful choice that corrupts the soul, and will ruin society if not put down.

Some of the most viciously anti-gay people I've ever met are devout Catholics, and I've recoiled at the what they've wanted to see done with gay people. It reminds me of the anti-gay political people (Pompeo, Barrett, Scalia, Alito, Gingrich, William F. Buckley, their own clergy, etc.) too, which is not surprising given Catholic Church teachings on homosexuality. That doesn't just...go away. It has real consequences that causes real harm. I know some Catholics are wonderful to LGBTQ, but that is certainly not the result of what their church as taught about homosexuality.

I know "this pope" was brought on to try and stem the hemorrhage of members and closing of Dioceses. But how long would this last should public opinion about LGBTQ reverse itself? The next pope would gladly condemn homosexuality, even call for the execution of gays, should that declaration bring in more members.

So Catholicism (other religions too) still have not faced The Big Lie, that a religion or creed can represent God or anything holy. They are just people wrapping themselves in a self-made deity, often to gain political power and line their own pockets.