Vatican attitude shift marks great leap forward

This past Monday, the Vatican released a report midway through its two-week synod. At the assembly comprised of more than 200 bishops, priests and laypeople, Pope Francis discussed pressing social issues facing the Catholic Church, paying particular attention to the potential acceptance of the LGBT community. The deeply conservative and tradition-based Catholic Church has long ostracized and discriminated against homosexuals.In a large shift in tone that has been long overdue, the Pope Francis-led Vatican now looks to change that narrative and usher in an era of non-discrimination and acceptance among all.

Irene Wang | Daily Trojan

Since his appointment in March of 2013, Pope Francis has become a beam of new light for the Church. By rejecting the papal estate and steadfastly encouraging people to help the poor and disabled, Pope Francis has restored humility to a papal seat that many viewed was losing influence and potency. The Pope Francis era, in its brief start, marks a positive shift in tone and its position in the world.

The synod, in its preliminary report, urged the Church to recognize the value and qualities LGBT individuals bring to the community, a major departure from the centuries-old belief that they live in sin in the eyes of the Church. The progressive philosophy being adopted revolutionizes the way the Church treats its members and is a positive step forward in equality in the faith. Not only has the synod debated acceptance of gays, but it has also contemplated the giving of communion to couples who divorced without the consent of the Church and remarried. A largely contentious topic, the Church traditionally has adopted a normative tone concerning divorce, decreeing marriage as final and divorce anathema to dogma. With a more compassionate tone, the Church is increasingly becoming more accepting of groups and minorities who have traditionally been rejected by the Church. In an institution that predicates itself on acceptance by God of those who have been rejected by society, it is a glowing relief that the Church has shifted its tone in beginning to accept gays and other groups facing discrimination. With the LGBT community becoming more and more accepted in mainstream society, the Church faces a crossroads in choosing which side of history to be on. In the United States and across the world, gays and divorcees are often kicked out of parishes, unfairly treated and wholly rejected by their communities simply because of their sexual orientation or marital status. The Church is in need of reform, and this week’s synod council is a positive step forward in fomenting change. Many have called the spirit in this council similar to that in the Second Vatican Council held over 50 years ago, which dramatically changed the way the Church performs mass and its relationship with the masses.

Not all bishops and priests are on board with Pope Francis’ progressive views. Many conservatives strongly voiced their opposition, arguing that the Church does not adapt to its members. The Church establishes itself as the beacon of morality and source of truth, and its positions should not bend to the times. As many traditional Christians believe, the Church is not democratic. That is to say, it does not evolve and change with the will of the people — rather, the people mold to the teachings of the Church. The traditional stance taken by these bishops, however, fails to recognize some of the most basic teachings of the Church, which preaches acceptance of all, despite your background.

The Church isn’t evolving. It’s staying true to its creed and beliefs that have long been lost in centuries of power struggle within the Church. In addition to his urging of openness in the Church, Pope Francis also supports the possibility of priests marrying. Conservative Catholics oppose the move, citing the centuries-old tradition of priests remaining celibate. Observers wielded the notion as another progressive reform promoted by the pope. Married priests are not new in the Church. The early Church allowed priests to marry until Pope Gregory VII banned their marriages as a way to consolidate power during the Middle Ages. The point being made is that the Church has shifted its stance before without outcry from tradition-focused members. The reforms being debated and urged by Pope Francis aren’t progressive agendas aimed to evolve the Church away from God; rather, they edify the Church and make it more open, accepting and welcoming to all.

Pope Francis has been able to restore the ethos of the Church through humility, acceptance and service. The way he’s leading in his nascent papacy is nothing but positive.
Athanasius Georgy is a sophomore majoring in biological sciences. His column, “On the World Stage,” runs Thursdays.