Pope Francis Must “Embrace Conversion” for Full LGBTQ+ Equality, Writes Gay Catholic
In a piece for the National Catholic Reporter, a young gay Catholic has argued that although LGBTQ+ Catholics have received support from Pope Francis, the pontiff must be more radical to heal this harmed community.
Philip Clark, a writer and restorative justice practitioner, posits that in order to create a truly welcoming space for queer people in the church, teachings on sexuality and gender must be revised. Although Clark admires Pope Francis’ efforts to move the church forward through encouragement and inclusion, he still believes that the pope must recognize his “own fallibility and embrace conversion by acknowledging the signs of the times, prompted by the Holy Spirit.”
For Clark, this “conversion” would include a review of church teachings on sexuality, which do not align with current psychological or scientific data. Both of these disciplines confirm that same-gender attraction is a “natural part of our diversity of species,” and it comes from a mixture of genetic, social, and environmental factors. Because Pope Francis has not proposed a review of church teaching, Clark believes the pope is failing LGBTQ+ people:
“Francis lacks moral courage in denouncing homosexuality as a crime but refusing to confront Catholic doctrines that fuel homophobia and transphobia throughout the world. As global social movements wage revolutionary struggles for Black liberation, abolition, women’s rights and transcending capitalist exploitation, the bishop of Rome should be enthusiastically joining the struggle for queer liberation — affirming sexuality and gender identity as divine gifts.”
“While Francis has personally welcomed trans people on a pastoral level, he has vocally condemned what he perceives to be ‘gender ideology,’ describing teaching about gender identity in schools as ‘ideological colonization.'”
While numerous Christian denominations have come to understand Scripture as including LGBTQ+ individuals, the Catholic Church continues to view same-gender relationships as “intrinsically disordered.” In addition, the Catechism fails to recognize the inherent worth of transgender people, which has led right-wing bishops to condemn gender-affirming medical care. In order to move forward, Clark argues that the church must first recognize that homosexuality is not “intrinsically disordered.” He writes of his own experience:
“The catechism’s language on homosexuality inflicted a deep wound on my psyche for most of my adolescence. Navigating my own journey of conscience as a gay Catholic involved accepting that biblical references to homosexuality were limited by the historical, social and cultural context in which they were written. These passages could never reflect the sacred truth of being attracted to another man, in mind, body and spirit. Gradually, I came to embrace my gay identity as a divine gift.
“My late mother, a Black woman who lived through desegregation, was one of my biggest supporters. When I resigned myself to celibacy, her constant refrain was, ‘But would you really be happy?'”
Some members of the church hierarchy have already been vocal about changing institutional teachings. Through op-eds, interviews, and podcasts, leaders have publicly acknowledged the emotional and psychological harm that negative teachings place on LGBTQ+ Catholics. Now, Pope Francis must do likewise, argues Clark, who concludes:
“Francis has issued soaring pontifications about a more inclusive church for the past decade. But our times demand that prophetic shepherds zealously walk the walk in advancing Christ’s animating purpose on Earth, described by John’s Gospel: ‘I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly’ (John 10:10).”
—Sarah Cassidy (she/her), New Ways Ministry, April 29, 2023
Excellently written and concisely stated that Pope Francis must call to change the damaging and destructive language of the catechism. Pope Francis will fail to move the Catholic Church towards full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community without first updating the catechism to reflect the modern science understanding of homosexuality as well as the historical criticisms of homosexuality references in the Bible.
I agree with Philip. It’s 2023 and we know enough about human sexuality to know that Homosexuality is not a threat. It is not less “natural” than Heterosexuality. God also has seemed to create even variations in between. Enough already! The TRUTH will always set us free! I so appreciate Pope Francis who is amazing compared to his predecessors. I am convinced if the CHURCH had a healthier attitude about sexuality, we could have avoided most of the ongoing scandals of closeted maladjusted angry clergy. Their resulting perversions have damaged so many innocent victims and driven many out of the FAITH!