French Archbishop: Pope Francis Is on the Side of LGB People and Their Families

Archbishop Hervé Giraud

As the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election approaches in March, a flurry of commentaries and evaluations can be expected, including about the pope’s LGBTQ+ record. Archbishop Hervé Giraud of Sens-Auxerre, France, has offered an appraisal of Francis’ approach to homosexuality, saying the pope is clearly on the side of LGB people.

Writing in La Croix International, Giraud highlights the pope’s tenure when it comes to LGB people, beginning with 2013’s “Who am I to judge?” up to his most recent condemnation of criminalization laws. The archbishop suggests that Francis is “trying to awaken consciences” and that there are lessons for Catholics in his approach. Giraud writes:

“First, his direct evocation of the issue of homosexuality and homophobia places him on the side of homosexual persons and their families. In this way, he stands up for the most vulnerable, especially young people who are victims of homophobic comments that fuel hatred and violence. The Gospel is for them, for their lives. . .

“Francis also offers an example of a type of free speech that urges us to break our silence. Homosexual persons are the first to suffer from the taboo that exists in our families or our Christian communities. . .

“With his successive declarations, the Jesuit pope is pointing towards the progressive path that the Catholic Church must take. Aware that homophobia will not easily disappear from society and that it can even feed on measures that intend to fight it, Francis is inviting Catholics to simply contribute to the defense of every human being.”

Giraud concludes by saying “it is necessary to fight against homophobia because, like all forms of hatred, it destroys and sows evil,” speaking out against it just like Pope Francis.

Archbishop Giraud rightly emphasizes the way Pope Francis has, at least in part, fundamentally re-oriented the church’s approach to LGB people. For too long, the focus when it came to homosexuality was on the more-negative sexual ethics tradition. Francis instead has focused on the church’s social justice tradition. His primary lens for approaching homosexuality is about the discrimination, exclusion, and violence that queer people experience daily.

Many Catholics in the past few decades have made this shift to a social justice lens, and as a result, they have done just as the archbishop suggests: broken the silence, struggled against homophobia, and taken the side of LGBTQ+ people. It is good to see Pope Francis and like-minded church leaders position themselves there, too.

Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, February 23, 2023

For further analysis about the theological shift in the church toward a social justice lens to examine LGBTQ+ issues,  check out New Ways Ministry’s booklet, A Home for All: A Catholic Call for LGBTQ Non-Discrimination.  In addition to analysis, the book contains 24 testimonies from Catholic leaders, and a list of discussion questions for parishes and other groups. 

3 replies
  1. JOHN HILGEMAN
    JOHN HILGEMAN says:

    New Ways Ministry has from the beginning emphasized the social justice aspect of Catholic teaching. It is good to see Archbishop Hervé Giraud’s alignment with the teaching and work of Francis, church documents, and New Ways Ministry.

    However, I notice he makes no mention of social justice for transgender persons. It is true that Francis himself is stuck in a philosophical/theological mindset that there is some kind of false transgender ideology that needs to be denounced. Nevertheless, he himself has met with and praised both transgender people and religious women who minister to them.

    It is refreshing, nonetheless, to see this movement in thought and in the ability to speak openly in behalf of LGBTQ+ people by Catholic leaders. We’ve travelled a long and rocky road, with pitfalls and diversions along the way. And we have a long way to go. But at least at this point in history, we are on the way.

    Reply
  2. Thomas Deel
    Thomas Deel says:

    I continue to grow as my dear deceased brother Daniel encouraged me towards a more profound inclusive and comprehensive understanding of what lesbian gay and transgender persons suffer these days and have for many decades previously. Right on Fr. Robert

    Reply

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