COMMENTARY: in 2018, Pope Francis, speaking to the Forum delle Famiglie, an Italian lay movement representing Catholic families, stated that only heterosexual families can form a family.
Then, recently, in 2021, despite some moves in the past few years that hinted at a gradual loosening of Catholic anti-gay dicta, the Pope reiterated that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions.
His remarks about the constitution of a family were totally exclusionary: “It is painful to say this today: People speak of varied families, of various kinds of family,” but “the family [as] man and woman in the image of God is the only one,” Francis said in unscripted remarks.
I beg to differ!I have felt blessed to have a very close group of friends, mostly gay, who have provided a kinship greater than I ever had with my parents and siblings. While I was very close with my parents, I no longer speak to one brother and usually speak with my other brother perhaps a half-dozen times a year. On the other hand, those I consider my gay family, I talk, text and hang out with daily!
Just read Mike’s story about his relationships with his exes and Daniel’s piece about Thanksgiving. WE ARE FAMILY!