My take on what Pope Francis said regarding Civil Union for LGBT Catholics

Last Wednesday, our Holy Father shocked Catholics around the globe when in an interview, he seems to have called for Civil Union for LGBT Catholics. In the documentary, Pope Francis appears to be in full support for allowing Civil Marriages between LGBT couples, especially when he said that they are beloved children of God, and that they have a right to a family. 

It's no surprise that this statement from the Pope caused quite a stir among Catholics throughout the world. For people who know the traditions of the faith, including a few theologians, their first reaction was to denounce Pope Francis and his style. Their first reaction was to defend what the Church has taught for thousands of years. For others who approved of what the Holy Father said in the documentary, their reaction was one of full support. Many of them engaged in a war of words over the internet with the ones who tried to defend the teachings of Mother Church, and some even accused others of trying to be more Catholic than the Pope. 

I foresee that what I'm going to write today is potentially going to cause a stir as well, and I initially did not want to write about this topic, seeing as many of us, myself included, have had quite enough of the drama that this documentary has caused. However, for some strange reason, here I am, sitting in front of my computer, with a strong prompting from the Lord to write what I feel about this. So, in obedience to what I feel God is prompting me to do, I shall share my take on the matter, merely as a means of putting it out there. This musing is not written with the intent to change the minds of any readers, and it is not intended to cause a stir or to offend anybody. What I write today is based entirely on what I know, and I stand corrected if what I write today is not in line with the teachings of Mother Church. 

To me, the first thing that we need to understand is that Pope Francis has been misquoted many times. This is the unfortunate reality when you are in a position of leadership, that people misunderstand your intentions, no matter how good they are. For Pope Francis, this is not the first time that he was misquoted with regard to LGBT and Homosexuality. Pope Benedict was also misquoted a number of times, especially with regard to Liturgy. In fact, if you ask your Priests, I'm pretty sure that they'd testify that their homilies have been misquoted or misunderstood. 

In light of this, I personally believe that the Holy Father may have been misquoted again. There are some who suggest that what the Pope intended for was perhaps lost in translation, but even this has caused a stir among Catholics. But if we look into the history of Pope Francis being misquoted, I truly would not be surprised if this is just another incident to add to that list, as much as I could be wrong. 

It's also clear to me that we need to understand is that the Pope Francis is the Holy Father. He was chosen by God as Supreme Pontiff to lead the flock of Christ, which is his Church. He did not campaign for votes among his fellow Cardinals, nor did he want to be Pope. 

Coming from this angle, I'm suggesting that our first reaction should not be one to denounce Pope Francis and his style of leadership. On the contrary, it should be of one which seeks to understand, rather than seeking to be understood. And of course, it should be one done with respect for the Holy Father, not only as Supreme Pontiff, but as a child of God. As Catholics, whether we like it or not, we are led by Pope Francis. We do not get to pick and choose. However, that is not to say that we should not speak out to defend the traditions of the Catholic faith. We can, and in fact we should, but with respect. 

However, the most important thing that we need to understand is that what the Holy Father says in a documentary or an interview, does not equate to a change in the teachings of the Church. Even if Pope Francis was not misquoted, even if he actually meant what he said, there are proper procedures to changing the teachings of the Church, if he wishes to. However, I'm quite confident that this isn't something that the Holy Father will change, as the Church's stance on Marriage is a revealed truth. His job as Supreme Pontiff is not to do what HE thinks to be right. His role is to lead the flock of Christ to Christ, and this also entails being obedient to what the Church teaches to be revealed truths. 

In my hopefully humble opinion, we all need to move forward from here. And I think that the best way for us to move forward is to have faith in God and in the Holy Father. Pope Francis is the successor to Saint Peter, the rock upon whom the Church was built. Even if Pope Francis changes the Church's stance on LGBT Marriage, Christ promised us in Matthew's gospel that the gates of the underworld will never prevail against the Church. And he gives us this promise as he gives Saint Peter the mission to be the rock upon which the Church would be built. 

Before criticising or condemning the Holy Father, I feel that we need to take a step back and look deeper into the history of Pope Francis, and what he's stood for throughout his life. And more importantly, we need to reflect on whether our reactions have stemmed from pride and self righteousness. 

At the end of the day, we need to remember that the faith which we profess is not about us. This whole episode has just exposed how all of us, whether we are in support of what Pope Francis said or not, make it about us. Instead of demanding an explanation from the Vatican, perhaps it's time to pray for humility.