THE POPE AND CIVIL UNIONS

LGBTQ+
Written By Baily McDaniel

HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS THINK ABOUT THE POPE’S APPARENT ENDORSEMENT OF CIVIL UNIONS?

the pope greeting nuns

Key Facts

  • Pope Francis has been the head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013. [1]

  • The Roman Catholic Church teaches the core tenets of Christianity including the importance of living in obedience to the Scriptures, however, in addition to the Scripture they believe that tradition is an additional way to know the truths of God. These traditions are passed on by the church and promoted by the pope. [2]

  • Pope Francis has been at the center of many church controversies and has been known for leaning more progressive in both theology and politics. This has made him a controversial religious leader. [3]

Key Scriptures

  • 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 

  • Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

  • 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.””

  • Ephesians 2:3-5 “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” 

  • 1 John 1:6 “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.”

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Application

Over the past few months, statements made by Pope Francis have lead to confusion and division in the Catholic church regarding same-sex civil unions and the seriousness of the Bible’s prohibition on homosexuality. How can Christians love others, promote unity in the church, and hold fast to truth in the wake of the Pope’s statements? 

What did the Pope say and do? 

A recent controversy has emerged as a result of the Pope’s statements in a newly aired documentary entitled: Francesco. In the documentary, Pope Francis appears to give support for civil unions for gay couples. The Pope’s is 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.” [4] What appears as one statement in the documentary is actually two partial responses to two differing questions that the Pope addressed in the interview. Omitted is his restatement of Catholic doctrine that marriage is a union only between a man and a woman. Yet, the Vatican did approve the use of the Pope’s words. The conclusion that can be drawn from the Pope’s statement here is that he advocates for legal protections and civil unions between homosexual people as long as these unions were called civil unions rather than marriage.

However, these aren’t the first controversial statements Pope Francis has made about homosexuality. In September of this year, Pope Francis spoke to 40 parents of homosexual children saying. “God loves your children as they are,” and “the church loves your children as they are because they are children of God.” [5]

In 2018, Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of sexual abuse by the Catholic church and an openly homosexual man, met with the Pope to discuss the sexual abuse perpetrated by leaders in the church. In this meeting, the conversation allegedly moved to discussing Cruz’s sexuality. Cruz recounted that he was told by the Pope, “You know Juan Carlos, that does not matter. God made you like this. God loves you like this. The Pope loves you like this and you should love yourself and not worry about what people say.” [6]

These and other reported statements have brought confusion surrounding the Pope’s understanding of homosexuality as a sin. Pope Francis appears to be avoiding strong stances on the issue of homosexuality which has resulted in mixed messages for Catholics who hold to the traditional teaching that same-sex practices are sinful. He won’t accept gay marriage labeled as “marriage,” but does accept when they are labeled as civil unions. His vague statements on homosexuality and gay persons have left many wondering how closely the Pope holds to the church’s teaching on sexuality.

What does the Bible say about it? 

Does it matter whether the term civil union or marriage is used? Yes and no. Redefining the word marriage can be quite problematic on its own, but, in the Bible, homosexuality is sinful regardless of its label. As we examine the Bible regarding homosexual unions, it should be remembered that the sin is not only the union itself, but the act of homosexuality (Rom. 1:27). This means that whether we call them civil unions or same-sex marriages, it should not change the way in which we view the act itself. We should stay away from those who use smooth talk to mislead others or teach things contrary to what we know through the Scriptures (Rom. 16:18-19). 

The Pope’s insistence in both statements that practicing homosexuals are children of God should also be examined further. It is a broad generalization that masks his inconsistency on the issue with a veil of “love”. However, it is not loving to be evasive about the destructive nature of sin (Prov. 14:12). Those who are dead in their sins are children of wrath, not children of God (Eph. 2:3-5). To presume that all homosexuals are “children of God” ignores their need for salvation and repentance from sin. Christians are freed from their slavery to sin when they put their faith in Christ and are adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters: “the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” In addition, by claiming that God made someone gay, this puts the Pope in a problematic position, since Catholic teaching labels homosexuality as “intrinsically disordered.” If God made someone gay, then God would have made someone intrinsically disordered, which would ascribe disorderedness or sinfulness to God.

However, these biblical doctrines do not mean that we treat those living in any form of sin poorly. In fact, our response should be the opposite. The Bible also teaches that Christians must recognize that all people, regardless of their sinful pattern of life, bear the image of God and are worthy of love and compassion (Gen. 9:6; Rom. 13:8-10). 

How can Christians respond? 

Whether or not a Christian can advocate for homosexual civil unions or other legal protections is a matter of discernment. In a secular form of government like the United States, people are granted certain basic protections or freedoms, regardless of the sin they commit in their personal lives. While sinful acts should never be encouraged by the church, all immoral acts do not need to be made illegal. As many of us live in democratic nations, whether or not we support  protections under the law for homosexual couples will be a decision that requires discernment and guidance by the Spirit. 

That being said, in a time of confusion where wording can so easily distort our view of sin, Christians should hold to the truth. Our goal is not to create confusion around homosexuality (1 Cor. 14:33), but to speak the truth as a result of our love for one another (Eph. 4:25). As we speak the truth, Christians should be tactful to avoid creating unnecessary divisions or being perceived as lacking love for others. Christians are called to love everyone, and while this does not mean encouraging sinful behaviors, it also does not mean stirring up hatred or malice toward others (Prov. 10:12). Christians should be united as they seek to love a hurting world, even when they address sinful behaviors. 

man looking through blinds

Conclusion

Striving for unity within the church is a crucial role of Christians. However, it should not be sought at the expense of truth and correct teaching. The Pope’s statement in the documentary Fracesco appears to be made for the purpose of calling for the protection of homosexual individuals under the law. Although this exact claim does not go against the Bible, his many statements on homosexuality fail to show the seriousness of homosexual sin (in addition to all other sins) for believers. The Pope has not flatly denied the sinfulness of same-sex unions, but his many statements on the topic of homosexuality should lead Christians to question how biblical his approach to this issue is.

Baily McDaniel
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