The Results Are In: Here Is How Catholics Graded Pope Francis on LGBTQ+ Issues

Today is the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ election. During his papacy, a number of observers have asserted that he has prompted a highly visible, and often more positive conversation in the church about LGBTQ+ issues. Some other observers hold that any of his widely-publicized statements and gestures on LGBTQ+ issues have not produced much change.

Ahead of the anniversary, we asked Bondings 2.0 readers to give Pope Francis a grade on his approach to gender and sexuality issues. Hundreds of people submitted their grades, which ranged from A++ to F, though most readers rated the pope somewhere in between.

We also asked readers to provide a brief explanation of their grade, and today’s post highlights some insights about common themes and points of divergence in the survey. So what did you, the readers, say about Pope Francis and LGBTQ+ issues?

Most readers acknowledged that Pope Francis has done some good: saying “Who am I to judge?”, meeting with transgender people, supporting parents with LGBTQ+ children, decrying the criminalization of homosexuality, and more. (For a full chronology of the pope’s LGBTQ+ record, positive and negative, click here.)

Several respondents who gave Pope Francis a grade in the “A” range named the impact the pope’s interventions have had on them personally. One gay parishioner who wrote: “It is through the Church that I have reconnected with Christ in my adulthood; and it is through Pope Francis that the door into the Catholic church was opened to me about 4 years ago.” Another gay man said Pope Francis’ “tone on LGBT people was a catalyst for my coming out.” The Catholic mother of a gay child compared Francis to “the balm of Gilead,” while another ally said the pope is “a wellspring of sensibility and a brave leader!” A gay priest’s comments offer a good summary of Grade “A” givers’ sentiments about Pope Francis’ wider impact: “He has revitalized the church around the Second Vatican Council and has taught the whole church what it means to really love your neighbor who might happen to be LGBTQ! His humble example is moving and empowering!”

Readers who gave the pope a grade in the “B” range were still relatively positive about his record, yet acknowledged limitations. Many such respondents in this range commended the pope for being willing to learn. One leader of an LGBTQ+ ministry said Francis is “a very serious student [who] wants to learn all that he can,” and this includes building relationships with LGBTQ+ people and pastoral ministers. A transgender Catholic said the pope was “still on the path of discernment himself for how he can best assist LGBTQIA2S+ individuals that seek refugee and love from the Church.” Most of the “B” graders echoed two LGBTQ+ Catholics who wrote respectively, “my hope and prayer is that his pastoral approach has laid the groundwork for what we actually need” and “he is allowing this process to develop on its own timeline for genuine change to take root within a critical mass of believers.” Still, many also expressed disappointment at the slow pace of this change.

Readers who gave the pope a grade in the “C” range were much less optimistic about Francis’ efforts. The pope’s welcoming tone was admittedly better than “the ‘F’ earned by previous popes,” as one queer Catholic wrote, but still met a bare minimum for acceptance: “I appreciate crossing that low bar, but I’m withholding any applause.” As one LGBTQ+ pastoral worker wrote, the pope “has talked a good talk, [but] nothing has changed.” These respondents largely cited a perceived lack of structural and doctrinal change for their lower grade, echoing the words of one respondent that “any progress he’s made can all be reversed by the next pope” and that “LGBTQIA+ Catholics shouldn’t have to stay or return to the proverbial closet” anymore. One ally noted that in the pope’s welcome he does not address LGBTQ+ peoples’ “full participation in the sacraments, liturgies, governance, schools, programs and life of the Church.” Francis was also faulted for believing in “gender ideology.” One transgender woman wrote: “I do love the Holy Father, but I also love homophobic people in my own life while necessarily acknowledging the harm in their beliefs.”

Finally, just over 5% of readers gave the pope grades in the “D” and “F” ranges. One gay parishioner expressed their “D” grade by writing: “I am still heartbroken that he hasn’t changed the homophobic catechism teaching that still considers homosexuality a disorder.” The Catholic mother of a trans child focused on the harm caused by Francis’ use of “gender ideology,” stating: “A transgender person’s worth and existence should not be open to debate. . . The inherent dignity and worthiness of my child should not be diminished.” Another ally called the pope “duplicitous,” and said they were “heartily disappointed and ashamed by this leader.”

All told, what was the final grade? The average for Pope Francis was a solid “B.”  Looking only at the responses from LGBTQ+ people, the average remained the same: “B.”

This Tuesday and Wednesday, Bondings 2.0 will feature the grades and commentaries from leading LGBTQ+ Catholics, theologians, pastoral ministers, and reform advocates. If you do not already subscribe to the blog, you can do so by clicking here.

To read a reflection on Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, on why Pope Francis still gives her hope, click here.

Robert Shine (he/him) and Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, March 13, 2023

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