For gay Catholics, those words do matter
By Tom Keane
August 04, 2013
Jorge Bergoglio, now better known as Pope Francis, holds an impromptu press conference as he flies from Brazil to Rome and, in response to a question about gays in the priesthood, disarmingly asks, Who am I to judge?
In some quarters, that latest remark is greeted with a rolling of eyes and a deepening concern, especially about this particular man (one who would dare wash the feet of women), a concern that brings to mind the old line: Is the Pope Catholic? In other quarters, especially those of the more liberal, cafeteria bent (which, in Massachusetts, one of the most Catholic states in the nation, means lets face it most adherents), there is near euphoria. Holy Pope John XXIII! The windows are open and the wind is blowing. Vatican III, here we come!
The former worry too much; the latter are overly optimistic. Granted, theres a difference in tone from Pope Benedict to Francis, and that shouldnt be surprising: They are quite different men. Reticent and solitary, Benedict was awkward when it came to the political side of his job. Francis is outgoing, a glad-hander who connects readily with people. Hes easier to like but still, church doctrine hasnt changed. Homosexuality remains intrinsically disordered. Homosexual relations are grave sins. And, the arguments of some theologians notwithstanding, the prospects of priests officiating at same-sex weddings are decidedly dim.
Yet differences of tone matter, and there is a chance here that gay Catholics may at least no longer feel like pariahs in their own faith.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/08/03/pope-catholic/5x1daYceuyssamHgkI9anK/story.html