The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

Understanding the pope’s message on marriage and civil unions

(En Espanol)

A veritable media storm erupted last month when it was reported that a new documentary film about Pope Francis included comments in which the pope appeared to endorse civil unions for same-sex couples.

In the film Francesco, which had not yet been released at the time his comments were made public, the pope was allegedly quoted as saying, “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it. What we have to have is a civil union law—that way they are legally covered. I supported that.”

As has been reported in several Catholic News Service articles in The Criterion, the “quote” was actually an edited compilation of different comments from the pope during an interview with another media source last year. He spliced the different statements together to serve an agenda.

According to Colleen Dulle, in the October 22 issue of America magazine, the pope’s message is:

“… an endorsement of civil union protections for same-sex couples, in that the pope publicly expressed support for them.

“But as the pope has often said, this does not mean that he believes that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. On a number of occasions, Francis has warned against threats to the institution of marriage and described marriage as ‘between a man and a woman.’ Accepting gay family members or accommodating same-sex partnerships in civil law, he said, ‘does not mean approving of homosexual acts.’

“Marriage is between a man and a woman,” drawing his usual distinction between a marriage and a civil union, the pope explained that states “want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of coexistence, driven by the need to regulate economic aspects between people, such as ensuring health care.”

Clearly Pope Francis supports the sanctity of marriage and its exclusive relationship between a man and a woman. At the same time, the pope is concerned about ensuring the human rights and dignity of all people.

In his installation homily on July 27, 2017, Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson discussed what he calls “The Catholic Both/And”:

“Far too often, we are being confronted with an ‘either/or’ mentality. We must dare to counter the growing polarization, division and radical individualism that breed fear, distrust, hatred, indifference, prejudice, selfishness, despair, violence and radical ideology. Our role as people of faith—I especially hold myself accountable as bishop—is to be willing to stand in the breach of the divide, drawing people back from the ledges of extremism in self-indulgence and self-righteousness by serving as bridges of unity, ambassadors of hope, instruments of peace. To do so, we must allow the seed, as the Gospel reminds us, the word of everlasting life, Jesus himself, to take root in the very rich soil of our very souls, of our being.”

The growing polarization that Archbishop Thompson warns against is surely present in Catholics’ reactions to the pope’s comments both on marriage and on human rights for all as reported in the media. Instead of hearing his words as a “both/and” (both a defense of marriage and an affirmation of human rights for all), too many people—on all sides of the question—insist on an “either/or” interpretation.

In his Oct. 27 blogspot, “Truth in Love,” Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne observes:

“When the Holy Father speaks and or teaches, he is almost always speaking to the universal Church. The United States already recognizes civil unions of same-sex couples, who are able to marry and receive all the legal protections which that guarantees. However, in many other parts of the world, people with same-sex attraction face considerable oppression, including in some countries, death.

“Similarly, and this is very important, Pope Francis continues to strongly support the teaching of the Church that marriage is between a man and a woman and is a permanent union. He has no problem making the necessary distinction between the two realities of civil unions and marriage. His focus on civil unions is more about public policy than Church teaching.”

The Church teaches—and Pope Francis firmly upholds—that marriage is only possible between one man and one woman. Civil unions are legal constructs intended to guarantee civil rights. Making a distinction between the two cannot possibly please those who insist on an either/or position, but it is consistent with Church teaching which opposes homosexual activity but affirms the rights and dignity of all persons.

As Dulle quoted the pope in her article, “Accepting gay family members, or accommodating same-sex partnerships in civil law, ‘does not mean approving of homosexual acts.’ ”

This both/and perspective clearly reflects the pastoral approach characteristic of Pope Francis, who insists that people with same-sex attraction should be welcomed, not shunned, in their own families and in society at large.
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †