The Church could be seen as being in a dilemma from the interpretation and perception and utilisation of inclusivity as a needed catalyst to the growth of the church in the present social demands facing it. Within the church is a division of “respect, acceptance, and recognition” of those at the margins often regarded as the poor.
The Synod report as written on the Vatican News describes the poor as, “For the Church, the option for the poor and those at the margins is a theological category before being a cultural, sociological, political or philosophical category…identifying the poor not only as those who are materially impoverished, but also migrants; indigenous peoples; victims of violence and abuse (especially women), or racism and trafficking; people with addictions; minorities; abandoned elderly people; and exploited workers.”
The conversation of the marginalised people – the LGBTQ, in the society had raged on as the Catholic Church has been looked upon to make a statement or allow for inclusivity.
“The Vatican and Catholic officials around the world have protested against moves to legalize gay marriage in Europe and other developed parts of the world.” Reuters wrote. But Pope Benedict XVI had said, “This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself.” In his memoir, “The Last Conversations,” Pope Benedict says that he came to know of the presence of a “gay lobby” made up of four or five people who were seeking to influence Vatican decisions {which} he managed to “break up this power group.” as Reuters reported.
Pope Francis has it differently, he said again in Reuters, “The criminalisation of homosexuality is a problem that cannot be ignored…This is not right. Persons with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God loves them. God accompanies them … condemning a person like this is a sin. Criminalising people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice,”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 as posted by Diocese of Honolulu, refers homosexuality as, “Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity; they are contrary to the natural law. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.” But in 2358, it continues, “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”
While the church tries to accommodate the homosexuals, in 2009 as Reuters has it, “Benedict decreed that Anglicans, who leave their Church, many because they feel it has become too liberal, can find a home in Catholicism in a parallel hierarchy that allows them to keep some of their traditions.”
As this issue continued, Pope Francis “reaffirmed that marriage can only be understood as a life-long union between a man and a woman.” However, “He backs civil laws giving same-sex couples rights in bureaucratic matters such as pensions and health care.” He also backs the baptism of the children of gay couples.
The Vatican News reports that, “Transsexual persons, even if they have undergone hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery, may receive the Sacrament of Baptism “if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or confusion among the faithful”. The children of homosexual couples should be baptised even if they are born from a surrogate mother, provided there is a well-founded hope that they will be educated in the Catholic faith.”
In an interview, Cardinal Francis Arinze noted that “we can’t change what Christ has made, it is like doctrine on Holy Eucharist. If a Synod is studying our faith and following tradition and church teaching, correct but if it means free for all where every individual pumps out that individual’s opinion, then we are not talking about our faith anymore. it is a formula for confusion, it is a pity, it should not be.” The situations are already confusing to the faithful.
The church is notable for compassion and as Jesus said, he came for the sinners. As Jesus sat with those considered to be sinners, people felt let down. That is the same way people seemingly felt as the Pope hosted the transgenders in the Vatican.
While it could be a tricky situation, the Church is invariably giving the group some needed backing. Jesus’ time is different from this time where there seemed a concerted effort to recreate the human to transform him to having a hybrid human in the bid to elevate science as against God as the ultimate provider of knowledge and thereby undermine the human image and dignity.
It is a movement that the Church has not found good answers to but the actions of Pope Francis seem a positive sign needed by the pushers of secularism, liberalism and inclusivity of the LGBTQ to continue in their quest.
The Catholic Church may witness the kind of exodus as experienced by the Anglicans as many may not be attuned to the current shift of the church to give accommodation to the transgenders and homosexuals. It is a way to affirm to them that sex changes are acceptable to the church. In baptising the children, there is no guarantee that after baptism, the child will grow up in full knowledge of the church and God. Growing up in the same environment seemingly will void the efforts of the church. This will negate the “well-founded hope that they will be educated in the Catholic faith.”
For many in Africa, the acceptance of and the accommodation of homosexuals and transgender by the Catholic Church will bring more confusions and conflicts with the cultural values. Many cultures in Africa may find this kind of accommodation abhorrent and that will not aid the church.
In as much as the church in conjunction with the beliefs of Pope Francis wants to reimagine what Jesus would do in such a society as this and as exemplified in the parable of lost sheep, the pursuit of inclusivity may end up causing the church to lose more souls than it wants to welcome.