THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Proverbs
31: 10-13.19-20.30-31; Thessalonians 5: 1-6; Matthew 25: 14-30)
Last month
Pope Francis appeared again in the headlines. The newspapers reported that he
already approves of gay marriages or, at least, "civil unions"
between homosexuals. Supposedly he said so in a documentary made this year.
The news
raised questions from many people. Promoters of the gay lifestyle wondered if
the Church will change its condemnation of homosexual acts. Parents began to
doubt what they taught their children. Some astute journalists had more
pertinent questions. They wanted to know why the new documentary used recorded
interviews made from last year for a different audience. They also questioned
whether the pope really used the words "civil unions" or was talking
about "civil coexistence." In ordinary parlance "civil
union" refers to a state-recognized sexual relationship between two people
of the same sex. The "civil coexistence" is a broader class of
relationships between two people.
Pope
Francis is not naive. He knows that the press often distorts his position.
Perhaps for this reason he waited a while to respond to the concerns. He wanted
to answer precisely to avoid further confusion. It is also not unusual for the
Vatican to moderate the tenor of the debate by taking time to respond. It is saying,
in effect, that the issues of sex are not the most important, much less the
only ones that matter.
The response
came through the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. It makes it clear that the
pope believes that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. It
follows that the Pope wants to reiterate the Church's concern for homosexuals:
men and women with homosexual tendencies are human persons in need of family
love. First, they need their fathers and mothers not to reject them as if they
were undomesticated animals. Also, as adults they should not be deprived of the
intimate trust of another person. In the interview made last year, the pope
spoke of "a law of civil coexistence" to allow homosexual couples to
speak for one another in the event, for example, of a medical emergency. He
wanted to assure all people not married but living in the same house that they
have the right, as he puts it, to "be legally covered."
The church
has long supported the recognition of legal authorities whereby two people
living together can share social benefits. But she insists that the scope of the
law providing this recognition is not limited to people in a sexual
relationship. The two people can be, for another example, a son living with his
mother whom he wants covered in his health insurance policy. Presumably Pope
Francis had this in mind when he spoke of "a law of civil
coexistence."
The actions
of Pope Francis provide testimony to the gospel we hear today. When Jesus tells
of the man praising the behavior of the servants who invest his money, he is
not promoting the stock market. Rather he is showing his disciples the need for
charity. To be a Christian awaiting the coming of the Lord we have to do works
of mercy. If we only wait sitting on our hands, we will be betraying Jesus who
died for us. It is instructive that Pope Francis has the courage to declare
himself in favor of people who are often despised, such as immigrants and
homosexuals. He in no way wants to condone immorality. Rather, he is promoting
the love of Jesus for the poor and outcasts.
In the Second
Eucharistic Prayer, the priest asks God to bring the Church "to perfection
through charity." Sometimes we miss this goal by not showing charity to
different types of person. Pope Francis has taught us how to extend it to all. Hopefully
all of us will hear him.
