Let’s be clear: the pope did not “meet” Kim Davis, any more than he “met” dozens of LGBT activists at the White House. They were in a large crowd on the White House lawn – but it was nevertheless a PR coup for our side. She was one in a long line of people, who got no personal message at all – but a PR coup for their side. Score tied.
On the other hand, it’s now been confirmed that one of the private meetings that did take place, but was very properly kept private, was a face to face meeting requested by Pope Francis himself, with a gay man who has been in a committed same – sex relationship for 19 years. That was not spun for PR advantage, as the purpose of the meeting was entirely personal and pastoral. However, we now know that it did take place, at Francis’ request, and that surely trumps all the PR spin from either side.
The day before Pope Francis met anti-gay county clerk Kim Davis in Washington last week, he held a private meeting with a long time friend from Argentina who has been in a same-sex relationship for 19 years.Yayo Grassi, an openly gay man, brought his partner, Iwan Bagus, as well several other friends to the Vatican Embassy on September 23 for a brief visit with the Pope. A video of the meeting shows Grassi and Francis greeting each other with a warm hug.In an exclusive interview with CNN, Grassi declined to disclose details about the short visit, but said it was arranged personally with the Pope via email in the weeks ahead of Francis’ highly anticipated visit to the United States.
Source: CNN Exclusive
Much has changed for LGBT Catholics since I first began this site, nearly nine years ago. In the institutional church under Pope Francis’ leadership, there’s been a marked shift to a more pastoral tone, to replace the harsh rhetoric under Pope Benedict XVI. At the Bishops’ Synod on Marriage and Family, even some conservative bishops acknowledged that the time has come to discard the “disordered” language in official teaching, some others even expressed apologies for the past harsh treatment of our community. In many Catholic countries, laws have been enacted to recognise same-sex marriage or civil unions. In response, an increasing number of bishops have come to recognise the value of legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples, even if not yet for full marriage. Under the radar, a much smaller number of bishops and other clergy are coming to support church blessings for these couples, to celebrate their civil marriages or civil unions.
