General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Stop Fawning Over Pope Francis at the Expense of Women and Gay Rights [View all]El_Johns
(1,805 posts)Francis didn't make any particular "war" against gay rights in Argentina until same sex marriage came under consideration, & even then, his "war" was not conducted in public, but through institutional (intra-church) communications laying out the official position of the Church.
Argentina was on the verge of approving gay marriage, and the Roman Catholic Church was desperate to stop that from happening. It would lead tens of thousands of its followers in protest on the streets of Buenos Aires and publicly condemn the proposed law, a direct threat to church teaching, as the work of the devil.
But behind the scenes, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who led the public charge against the measure, spoke out in a heated meeting of bishops in 2010 and advocated a highly unorthodox solution: that the church in Argentina support the idea of civil unions for gay couples.
The concession inflamed the gathering and offers a telling insight into the leadership style he may now bring to the papacy.
Few would suggest that Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is anything but a stalwart who fully embraces the churchs positions on core social issues. But as he faced one of the most acute tests of his tenure as head of Argentinas church, he showed another side as well, supporters and critics say: that of a deal maker willing to compromise and court opposing sides in the debate, detractors included.
The approach stands in sharp contrast to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who spent 25 years as the churchs chief doctrinal enforcer before becoming pope, known for an unbending adherence to doctrinal purity. Francis, by comparison, spent decades in the field, responsible for translating such ideals into practice in the real world, sometimes leading to a different approach.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/world/americas/pope-francis-old-colleagues-recall-pragmatic-streak.html?_r=0
I find the animosity toward this particular Pope on this issue strange, given that the Church has had this position for a long time & the previous Pope was much worse on the issue -- yet I don't remember such harsh condemnation of Ratzinger (who was Francis' superior during the gay marriage fight in Argentina).