There are so many comments in the social media regarding what the Pope says during his interview on his return trip back from Armenia. Some Catholics say that the Church did nothing on the LGBT Community, there’s nothing to apologize. But I see a lot of comments from LGBT people that the Pope is now leaning the Catholic Church towards the ‘rights’ of the LGBT Community, which means, openness to gay marriage, and being allowed to receive the Holy Communion (people with same-sex relationships are not allowed to receive the Eucharist, because it’s a mortal sin, in the same condition that people having sex outside marriage is considered a mortal sin). Some LGBT Community members assume that this comment of the Pope signifies that he’s a ‘non-traditional’ ‘modernistic’ ‘open’ Pope – which would mean he’d change the Church laws to adapt to what the modern world requires.
First, what the Pope says that the Church must ask forgiveness to the marginalized and the poor we hurt or offend with words or actions, including hating them or bullying them, is NOTHING NEW. We have been taught by the Church FOR A VERY LONG TIME that we must apologize to ANYONE we offended, like day-to-day situations wherein we hurt our own family or loved ones, friends. Since the LGBT Community is considered as marginalized, when we offend them with our words or actions, we must apologize. So to the traditional Catholics, you should not dislike or even hate Pope Francis, because he’s just teaching basic human virtues. Catholics just misunderstand him for reminding us of loving one another.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies . . . must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”
It sounds like the LGBT Community has high hopes that the Church, through Pope Francis, would change her position in not allowing gay marriage. They somehow wish that this is the start of the Pope changing the Church teachings on the Sacrament of Marriage. But he’s not allowing that. He only said that we must apologize to the people who commonly get discrimination and hurtful words, such as “the gay person who is offended, but she must also ask for forgiveness from the poor too, from women who are exploited, from children who are exploited for labour”. But the Pope did not say the Church is inclined to changing dogmas. If he does though (which he never will), it would already be considered a heresy, and he’d be an antipope or an invalid pope. The Church dogmas and truths, whoever the Pope will be, or whatever the majority of the people chooses, they still can never be changed. He’s a Pope with much wisdom. Therefore, he’d never contradict any dogmas of Catholicism, including the Sanctity of Holy Matrimony (One Man – One Woman). The world has changed and is modern now, but the Roman Catholic Church won’t adapt to modernity by changing the Truth. She is even here to guide every one of us to live a righteous and pious life despite modernism.
Like the common saying goes, “hate the sin, love the sinner.” The Catechism describes homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered”: “They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.”
Here is the complete interview of Pope Francis regarding the matter:
“I will repeat what I said on my first trip. I repeat what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: that they must not be discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally. One may condemn, not for theological reasons, but for reasons of, let’s say, political behaviour – certain manifestations are a little too offensive to others. But these things have nothing to do with the problem. The problem is that if a person in this condition has good will and seeks God, who are we to judge? And we must accompany them well. … Then there are traditions in some countries, in some cultures that have a different mentality on this problem. I think that the Church must not only ask forgiveness from the gay person who is offended, but she must also ask for forgiveness from the poor too, from women who are exploited, from children who are exploited for labour. She must ask forgiveness for having blessed so many weapons. The Church must ask forgiveness for often not behaving well – when I say the Church, I mean Christians. The Church is holy, we are sinners. Christians must ask forgiveness for having not accompanied so many choices, and so many families. …I remember from my childhood, the culture in Buenos Aires, the closed Catholic culture. I come from there. You couldn’t enter the house of a divorced family; I’m speaking of 80 years ago. The culture has changed, thanks be to God. Christians must apologise for many things, and not just this: they must ask for forgiveness, not just offer apologies. Forgive me, Lord: words we often forget.”
Lastly, he said that the gay people must be “accompanied pastorally”. To accompany pastorally is to guide the flock (the Catholics) to pastoral matters like going to Church, learning the Catechism. Any mortal sin, like men and women having illicit sexual relations and homosexual acts, removes the person from being in the state of grace, and therefore, can’t take the Holy Eucharist, until he cuts the sexual relations off, amend his life, and go to Confession. So it’s not true that gays have no rights in the Church. And in fact, we invite them to follow the moral rules as taught by the Church. Both men and women, ALL OF US, are invited to live moral Christian lives within the Church.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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