On the day I celebrated the first anniversary of my wedding, Pope Francis announced his “conditional approval” for Catholic priests to bless same-sex marriages – under certain circumstances – although he was keen to add that these blessings should not be seen as validation of same-sex relationships. “It will be possible to bless same-sex couples but without any type of ritualisation or offering the impression of a marriage,” the Church announced in a report published on Vatican News, adding that “the blessing does not signify approval of the union”. In the eyes of the Catholic church, it seems, queer love is still a sin.
Well, you can stick your blessing, Pope Francis. It’s a fig leaf, a PR exercise, a means of laundering your prejudice to make it seem like a step towards acceptance.
I was brought up Catholic, went to Catholic schools and mass every Sunday, and served as an altar boy for years. From an early age I also knew I was gay. But some of my teachers made me believe that being gay was wrong. When the other kids called me “poof”, “pansy” and “queer”, it didn’t occur to me to report them to a teacher. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to my sin. It was my own fault I was being bullied. I was consumed by guilt. » | Matt Cain | Tuesday, December 19, 2023
