FRANCESCO

            A newly released documentary about Pope Francis, aptly name “Francesco,” caused a little stir because it included comments by the Holy Father which appear to support laws recognizing same-sex civil unions, as an alternative to recognizing the relationship as a civil marriage, which Pope Francis has spoken against.  Below are some things to keep in mind when considering these comments.

            First, the remarks about same-sex union were not made in the interview with Francesco filmmaker Evgeny Afineezsky.  Rather, they were later inserted into the documentary, without attribution, from a 2019 interview of the pope with a Mexican journalist.  They were not included in the published written version of the script.  They were edited  to give the impression that they are a cohesive whole, which they are not.  The remarks were made by the pope, but in a different context, and phrases that were distinct are put together to leave an impression not intended by the Holy Father.

            Second, because of the pope’s reference to the “right to have families” the comments have been interpreted as supporting adoption of children by same-sex couples.  Here are the words of Pope Francis in the 2019 interview: “I said, homosexual people have a right to be in the family, people with homosexual orientation have a right to be in the family and parents have the right to recognize that son as homosexual, that daughter as homosexual. Nobody should be thrown out of the family or be made miserable because of it.”  The U.S. Bishops provide the same advice in Always Our Children, their pastoral message to parents in 1997.  Do not reject your children because they experience same-sex attractions. 

The pope has never said that homosexual couples should have the right to adopt children.  In fact, he has spoken against it, saying that children would be “deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God…Every person needs a male father and a female mother that can help them shape their identity.”  Most press reports about Francesco failed to take into account the Holy Father’s past remarks on the right of children to be raised by parents of the opposite sex. 

            A third thing to keep in mind is to understand why the pope might support certain types of legal arrangements that would benefit people who live together but are not married.  As he proposed to his fellow bishops in Argentina in 2010, before he was elected pope, acceptance of civil unions might be a way to diffuse the movement for same-sex marriage.  Moreover, as Cardinal O’Malley of Boston explained in a statement, Pope Francis “recognizes that in civil society there can be cogent reasons to enact such laws providing for civil unions which are not the same as the institution of marriage…[He] has seen civil unions as a way for governments to provide protections and health care for couples in long-term, committed relationships, whether they be siblings or friends or partners.  Such arrangements are not always of a sexual nature.” 

There is no doubt that there are situations where persons who share a home and economic resources who are not married would benefit from the legal recognition of tax-free inheritance rights, inclusion in health care plans, and possibly other benefits.  Nevertheless, the Vatican has traditionally been wary of civil unions because of the risk that they could be equated with marriage and result in same-sex relationships as being “foreseen and approved by the law.”  The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has written that this “would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.”   

When the pope is reported to have said something contrary to Catholic practice or tradition, my advice is to find out what he actually said, and in what context.  Then, do not immediately accept the media’s interpretation, remembering that they have an interest in hyping things up.  Rather, rely only on credible sources for news, especially when it affects religion.  Some organizations I respect are Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic News Agency, and First Things.  I would avoid like the plague extremist Catholic media that teeter to the left or to the right.  Finally, remember that whatever the pope says in an interview is not part of the official papal magisterium.  It does not change or modify the Church’s teaching on faith and morals in any way.     

FATHER SCOTT