The Pope defends civil union for homosexuals: "A strong message that does not change the situation"

In the documentary "Francesco", broadcast Wednesday, October 21 at the Rome International Film Festival, Pope Francis takes a stand in favor of civil union for homosexuals.

A position to say the least divisive within the Catholic Church.

"Homosexual people have the right to be in family. What is needed is a law of civil union, they have the right to be legally covered", declared the pontiff in Evgeny's film Afineevsky.

If the Pope has already, on several occasions

made remarks of openness towards the homosexual community, this is the first time that he has taken a position so affirmatively to defend their union. 

A strong message of openness, therefore, the scope of which remains to be measured.

France 24 spoke with Anthony Favier, member of the editorial board of Témoignage Chrétien, a newspaper committed to the homosexual cause in the church.

France 24: Do Pope Francis' comments on civil union reflect a change in doctrine?

Anthony Favier: For the Pope to engage his authority, he must do so in writing within a specific framework, this is called the Magisterium.

This is of course not the case here: it is only a comment

so we cannot speak of a change of doctrine.

Moreover

if the question of the union of homosexuals divides the Catholic Church, the heart of the problem is not the recognition of this right

but the nature of affection and of sexuality.

For the Catholic Church, homosexuality is "inherently disordered", which means that sexuality between two men or two women is not acceptable.

If a homosexual couple does not have an emotional or sexual life, they are in a chaste friendship which is tolerated.

By speaking out in favor of civil union, the Pope is certainly taking a divisive position, but absolutely does not call into question Catholic doctrine.

This is not the first time that he has made open remarks towards homosexuals, even if it means standing out from his predecessors.

What purpose ?

John Paul II and Benedict XVI considered that the dignity of man depends on the rejection of homosexual acts.

Pope Francis has moved the cursor, without calling into question the principles of the Catholic Church.

He insists on the universal side of the love of God, maintains that sexual morality cannot be the main axis of Catholic doctrine and must be placed in a hierarchy of subjects, which includes issues such as the treatment of migrants, poverty or even capitalism.

With this strategy, he tries to create play on the questions of morals within the Church.

Obviously, the doctrine will not change immediately, but it could evolve in the long term.  

Does this openness advocated by Pope Francis reflect a change in opinion within the Church?

As the changes within the Church are very slow, the current strategy is to mute the themes which appear too far removed from modernity

by modifying the rhetoric.

It is clear that the view of some of the faithful on homosexuality is changing;

among heterosexuals who become more tolerant but also homosexuals who assert themselves more.

In 2015, LGBT Catholic groups created an international organization (Global Network of Rainbow Catholics), which, although not recognized by the Vatican, represents a major step forward in community affirmation.

The Catholic Church is aware of these developments and must take them into account.

On the one hand, it is losing the faithful because of positions they consider archaic, on the other it is faced with the risk of Shiism;

with more traditional believers tempted to leave the Church to create their own structure.

In addition to that, the dynamic is different according to the continents, with an evolution on the questions of morals in certain countries of Europe but a practice which remains very traditional in Africa and Asia for example. 

>> To read also: Therapies to "cure" homosexuality: a worrying legal vacuum in France

Pope Francis has been leading the

There have been no concrete developments in the catechism or the doctrine, but we observe a change of mentality in France where more and more dioceses have proposals with regard to homosexual people and their entourage.

However

 many problems remain;

LGBT people are not fully included in the Church and homophobic violence is rarely denounced.

If the situation remains largely locked, we must still recognize a certain courage in the current Pope.

By refusing to "judge" homosexuals in search of faith and by welcoming openly homosexual people to the Vatican, he sent strong messages.

Many homosexual Catholics have a disproportionate guilt on the question of morals and the words of the Pope, even if they do not change the situation, represent an enormous comfort for the suffering people. 

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