Gay Friend of Pope Francis Criticizes Cardinal Dolan

In response to Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s blunt statements about  Pope Francis’ health condition, Juan Carlos Cruz Chellew, a personal friend of the pontiff, is urging people  to ignore Dolan and focus on our need for Pope Francis. 

Pope Francis with Juan Carlos Cruz

In an op-ed essay for the National Catholic Reporter, Cruz, a gay, clergy abuse survivor who has become a friend of Pope Francis, criticized  New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan statement that Pope Francis “was probably close to death” and issuing a memo to parishes for how to prepare liturgically for the Pope’s funeral. Dolan used the Pope’s baptismal name, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, which was seen as a sign of disrespect. Dolan has since changed tactics by calling for prayers for Pope Francis. He also released a video congratulating the Pope on the twelfth anniversary of his papal election. 

For Cruz, Dolan’s initial remarks are infuriating, because he asserts that  Pope Francis is needed in the world right now He states:

“My friends, family and so many people I know have never felt more welcome in the church than when Pope Francis proclaims that the church is for everyone: Todos, todos, todos! It’s a message that perfectly defines him.

“Pope Francis has also taught us to respect all life — not just the unborn, but every life. The lives of sexually abused survivors, immigrants, prisoners, the forgotten and marginalized. Not just a single category of life, as some would have us believe, but every life matters in the eyes of God.

“He has made us more human, teaching us to see everyone — not just a select few — as the image of God. While some want to impose a world of intolerance. Pope Francis envisions something far greater: a church that embraces, heals and welcomes.”

Cruz argues that Pope Francis has provided  “a call to preach by example, and a call to embrace everyone” approach. The pope’s call for legal protections and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people should not threaten others.  He writes:  

“The right to same-sex marriage doesn’t compel anyone to marry someone of the same sex. Recognizing the rights of the trans community doesn’t mean you must be trans. Providing health care to the vulnerable is not an act of charity — it is justice. And so on.

“Yet, those who claim to care so deeply about the heartbeat of an unborn child often show little concern for the living conditions of an abandoned child arriving on a boat or hidden in a truck. They insist on persecuting immigrants who have committed no crime. They side with those who claim to respect life — yet only when it suits them. They deny health care to the most vulnerable while preaching morality.” 

For Cruz Chellew, and for many others around the world, Pope Francis is a necessary leader. We need more of Pope Francis’ good work in order to continue to create an accepting, affirming church. 

—Sarah Cassidy, New Ways Ministry, March 19, 2025