On the heels of Rome’s LGBT pride parade last weekend, Pope Francis immediately marched out and made some blandly offensive proclamations regarding the sanctity of marriage. “Children mature seeing their father and mother [happy],” he droned airily, to an audience of 25,000 dozy worshippers. “What great richness this diversity is, a diversity which becomes complementary, but also reciprocal. It binds them, one to the other.”
Um, we’re not sure what that’s even supposed to mean, but his statement clearly excludes a number of people in one fell swoop — single parents and LGBT parents not least among them. Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of LGBT advocacy group DignityUSA, took umbrage with his rhetoric: “This leads to the refusal to honor and support families that don’t look like the model held up by church officials,” she told The Huffington Post.
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of Catholic LGBT advocacy group New Ways Ministry, wholeheartedly agrees: “Pope Francis’ message… is harmful to many others in the Catholic Church: single-parent families, families where emotional and physical abuse occurs, families who are separated geographically because of political or economic situations, to name a few.”
When the Pope visits Philadelphia in September, Duddy-Burke plans to sit him down with a handful of gay couples so they can share their stories. “Sizable majorities of Catholics readily embrace their LGBT members,” she said. “They are impatient for the leadership to catch up!”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
While she’s at it, she should tell him to stop comparing marriage to “a good wine.” Because that’s just wack.
Milton Appleby
What would you expect?
Ridpathos
Whatever. I’m not offended. It just sounds like he was just talking off the cuff. Jeez.
Sweetie Pie
The usual crap from RCC….next !
OhHellNo
Anything to divert attention from that altar-boy-rape thing, eh, Popie?
Alexander R. Rodriguez
The gay rights movement has dumbed down gays so much they can’t even decipher the erudite words of the Holy Father….go back to watching DragRace idiots….
badtungsten
I can’t help but be amused at the disappointment so many people are expressing now that this pope has shown his true colors in regard to gay people. He was never our ally, he was never our friend. He may think we deserve to be treated with dignity, but he most certainly does NOT believe in equality. He’s the pope! Even if he privately held the belief that gay people should be allowed to marry, he doesn’t have the freedom to say so. He’d face a revolt among the cardinals and we would find ourselves facing a new papal conclave in no time.
1EqualityUSA
Children “mature” with horrendous memories of rape by those whom they trusted and believed to be men of God. They ought to lose the collars and fancy garb, because just like clowns are associated with serial killers and evil, their costumes are associated with crimes against children. Clean up your own garden.
Transiteer
He’s Catholic. He’s the Head Catholic. What do you expect from an Organization that used to burn people at the stake, torture and maim them, etc, etc etc, for not doing as they’re told. And this is the “liberal” Head Catholic. Take your hint from there. If you’re Gay and Catholic, you’ll have to choose — you won’t be allowed to be both.
Curty
Since I don’t understand I will just say in the past he has made harsh comments about gays and fought hard to stop Argentina’s gay marriage law. He has made it seem from a few sound bites he has moderated his stance but I don’t think he is moderate about homosexuality at all.
Giancarlo85
And Argentina, Uruguay, Spain and Brazil don’t care. They all have legalized same sex marriage (way before many predominantly Protestant countries). Do you think these Catholic countries care about the church anymore? They are more secular.
Clark35
It’s funny how LGBT media and the media and people in general all thought that this pope was different, for LGBT rights, same gender marriage, etc. but those of us that know anything about the Roman Catholic church knew otherwise. This pope also did nothing to stop the genocide of Argentine people during the 70s and 80s.
Giancarlo85
They say it always takes the church several centuries to progress… by the time they reach some sort of progress, they are still stuck in the past lol.
AniLina Teixeira
Drink some of your fake holy water man– really?
jwtraveler
@Alexander R. Rodriguez: Are you referring to the leader of the world’s largest international pedophile organization? You know, the one that reviles two people of the same sex loving each other, but protects the henchmen raping the children they’re supposed to be providing guidance to. Your anti-day bigotry has blinded you to reality. The truth’s a bitch, isn’t it?
jwtraveler
Oops. “anti-bigotry”, but you know it well.
Giancarlo85
@Alexander R. Rodriguez: You’re the real idiot without a brain.
gaym50ish
Neil Steinberg wrote a piece in the Chicago Sun-Times that was an open letter to Cardinal Francis George.
He wrote, “…look at the church’s stance on females. While society long ago let them be doctors and lawyers and, yes, even clergy, the church refuses to follow suit. Yet it lives with the anti-women stigma just fine. It’ll be no different with gays, and the church’s position will be just one more antiquated cruelty the world will tolerate. You’ll hardly notice.”
Dakotahgeo
I had such great hopes that Poop Francesca would be different from the rest, but alas… another IDIOT! So sad he’s from South America!
Palto
@Alexander R. Rodriguez: go back to watching Telemundo.
Dakotahgeo
@Alexander R. Rodriguez: I think you misspelled Father… it’s Holy FUCKER!!! You’re cute Alex, but you’re still a stupid Catholic christian!
James Hart
Marianne Duddy Burke is never going to be sitting down with the pope.
James Hart
@Alexander R. Rodriguez: 🙂