How the Pope's latest remarks on gay priests show a shift to a conservative mindset
Catholics have been on a journey
these last 50 years regarding homosexuality. Attitudes have changed
almost beyond recognition. It may even be possible to begin to discern a
shift in the sensus fidelium under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Not everyone is on the same stage of that journey, however, and it may
not be unfair to position Pope Francis himself towards the back of the
pack – even though, with his “Who am I to judge?” remark when asked
about gay clergy in the Vatican, he has himself helped to move the
middle ground of Catholic opinion.
His latest contribution to the debate indicates a more conservative mindset, but more by tone than substance. In a long interview just published in book form, Francis says he is worried about homosexuality in the priesthood: “In our societies it even seems that homosexuality is fashionable and that mentality, in some way, also influences the life of the Church.” Yet if shifts in attitude in society in general are partly responsible for the more tolerant view taken within the Church, that is more a gain than a loss, something to be thankful for.
Another factor may be the decline of a flawed application of natural law in the field of sexuality, indicated by the widespread disregard of the teaching of Humanae Vitae declaring contraception sinful.
The Pope’s comments have cheered some, who look for greater clarity and firmness in teaching that homosexual acts are sinful. But they have opened him to accusations of homophobia. What he said, in substance, was that priests with a gay orientation must remain chaste. But the same of course is true of celibate priests who are not gay. At a time when, as the Pope is well aware, there are voices trying to pin responsibility for the sexual abuse crisis on homosexuals in the priesthood, it would have been wiser for him to have said so. It would have been helpful, also, to remind us that a gay orientation, whether in a bishop, priest or a lay person, is no barrier to sanctity. It certainly does not make anyone more likely to be a potential child abuser.
The desire to love and be loved is part of the human condition, and such love often has an erotic element. As Pope Benedict’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est points out, eros is inherently good. The integration of all these ideas into a coherent and convincing Catholic theology of sexuality is still a work in progress, and the journey referred to earlier is far from over. To this debate, gay and lesbian Catholics, priests, Religious and laity, have a key contribution that only they can make. They are not a problem; they are an asset.
His latest contribution to the debate indicates a more conservative mindset, but more by tone than substance. In a long interview just published in book form, Francis says he is worried about homosexuality in the priesthood: “In our societies it even seems that homosexuality is fashionable and that mentality, in some way, also influences the life of the Church.” Yet if shifts in attitude in society in general are partly responsible for the more tolerant view taken within the Church, that is more a gain than a loss, something to be thankful for.
Another factor may be the decline of a flawed application of natural law in the field of sexuality, indicated by the widespread disregard of the teaching of Humanae Vitae declaring contraception sinful.
The Pope’s comments have cheered some, who look for greater clarity and firmness in teaching that homosexual acts are sinful. But they have opened him to accusations of homophobia. What he said, in substance, was that priests with a gay orientation must remain chaste. But the same of course is true of celibate priests who are not gay. At a time when, as the Pope is well aware, there are voices trying to pin responsibility for the sexual abuse crisis on homosexuals in the priesthood, it would have been wiser for him to have said so. It would have been helpful, also, to remind us that a gay orientation, whether in a bishop, priest or a lay person, is no barrier to sanctity. It certainly does not make anyone more likely to be a potential child abuser.
The desire to love and be loved is part of the human condition, and such love often has an erotic element. As Pope Benedict’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est points out, eros is inherently good. The integration of all these ideas into a coherent and convincing Catholic theology of sexuality is still a work in progress, and the journey referred to earlier is far from over. To this debate, gay and lesbian Catholics, priests, Religious and laity, have a key contribution that only they can make. They are not a problem; they are an asset.
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