Posted on 09/23/2025 8:06:31 PM PDT by ebb tide
A recently published study shows that priests’ approval of Pope Francis during his lifetime is associated with the moral acceptance of homosexual sex.
“Approval of Pope Francis is negatively associated with the belief that homosexual sex is always wrong,” researcher Lucas Sharma found using data from the 2020-2021 Survey of American Catholic Priests.
In his study, Sharma also found that priests’ disapproval of homosexual activity — which the Catholic Church teaches is “intrinsically disordered” and gravely sinful — was correlated with several other factors. These included “ordination date, political conservatism, any degree of reported same-sex sexual attraction, and religious traditionalism.”
As previous studies have found, Sharma observed that heterosexual, recently ordained, politically conservative, and religiously traditional priests are more likely to endorse the Church’s teaching on homosexuality. A priest’s “religious traditionalism” was estimated by the frequency with which he prayed the Divine Office, since its daily recitation is a mandate of the Church, per canon law.
All the above factors were statistically significant in Sharma’s analysis. Interestingly, religious priests were found to be less likely than diocesan priests to believe that homosexuality is wrong.
While the gravely sinful nature of homosexual acts is an unchanging doctrine of the Church, Francis had given many Catholics the impression that the immorality of homosexuality is not as serious as the Church had always taught, or even that it is morally ambiguous.
He signaled this belief in many ways, not least of all by supporting homosexual civil unions, and by approving the blessing of same-sex couples via Fiducia Supplicans, which are both contrary to Scripture and perennial Church teaching.
Catholic laymen and priests immediately thereafter justified both immoral arrangements using Francis’ own endorsement, with many priests sacrilegiously performing blessings of same-sex couples in Catholic churches.
Francis also repeatedly held private audiences with pro-LGBTQ persons such as Father James Martin, S.J., who is a notorious defender of homosexuality.
Perhaps most famously, when asked by reporters about whether a priest can be homosexual, he said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?” Some Catholics were quick to point out that a Catholic can have homosexual inclinations without wrongdoing — but this depends on refraining from homosexual activity. His statement was ambiguous and as such, led some to infer he was referring to active homosexuals.
Francis frequently gave the impression, not just with regard to homosexuality but with other moral issues, that Church teaching can change. At times, he veered into outright heresy, most clearly both through his endorsement of same-sex civil unions and his claim that one can receive Holy Communion in mortal sin.
Theologians, academics, and prelates felt compelled to correct him in defense of authentic Church teaching.
Ping
‘Were’ aligned?
That is a shocker. /s
Pope Obama. Sent to fundamentally transform the church.
Bottom line...were any of Jesus’s disciples homosexuals? Hell no!! because sexual immorality was condemned in Judaism, including homosexual relationships. I don’t think Jesus kept a few homos around to preach his teachings like Adolf Hitler did.
Anti pope. Was NEVER the Pope.
Wasting money.
Captain Obvious polls.
Please consider how these critical editorials and stories posted about Pope Francis and Pope Leo negatively affect new believers.
Scripture: “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 New American Bible
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 892) teaches that Catholics owe a special level of adherence to the Pope’s authority, even when he is not speaking infallibly (i.e., outside of formal, binding declarations on faith and morals). When the Pope is not speaking infallibly, believers are called to offer “religious submission of mind and will” to his teaching.
According to paragraph 892, believers are to show a “religious submission of mind and will” to the authentic teaching authority (Magisterium) of the Pope. This means that a Catholic should approach the Pope’s teachings with a spirit of docility and a sincere effort to understand and accept them, rather than with a default attitude of suspicion or opposition. This doesn’t forbid good-faith questions or theological study, but it precludes a spirit of public, hostile dissent.
This key principle guides the faithful in their response to the Pope’s ordinary, non-infallible teaching authority (the “authentic Magisterium”).
“Religious Submission” This isn’t the same as the “assent of faith” required for infallible dogma, but it is a serious obligation. In practice, it means approaching the Pope’s teachings with a spirit of docility and respect.
A believer should:
• Make a sincere effort to understand and accept the teaching.
• Presume that the teaching is true and sound, even if it’s difficult to understand.
• Avoid public opposition or dissent that would harm the unity of the Church and create scandal.
The Catechism calls Catholics to treat the Pope with profound respect and charity, recognizing him as the successor of Peter and the visible sign of the Church’s unity. While this does not eliminate personal struggles or theological questions, it sets a clear standard against public, harsh criticism that undermines his authority, harms his reputation, and fosters a spirit of dissent.
Thank you.
The author presents a list of actions by Pope Francis as evidence of him promoting dissent. However, the post consistently omits crucial context and official clarifications provided by the Vatican.
Fiducia Supplicans: The post claims this document approves the “blessing of same-sex couples.” This is a significant oversimplification. The document explicitly and repeatedly forbids any blessing that could be confused with a wedding liturgy or that would seem to approve of the sexual union itself. It makes a sharp distinction between a formal, liturgical blessing of a union (which is forbidden) and a brief, spontaneous, pastoral blessing for the individuals in the couple, who are seeking God’s grace to live more faithfully.
Civil Unions: Pope Francis’s support for homosexual civil unions has been in the context of ensuring legal and practical protections for people in stable partnerships (such as inheritance, healthcare decisions, etc.). He has simultaneously and consistently reaffirmed the Church’s unchanging teaching that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman. The post conflates support for a secular legal status with an endorsement of the moral nature of the relationship.
“Who Am I to Judge?”: This famous quote is presented as ambiguous. The full context is essential: the Pope was responding to a question about a person with same-sex attraction who “seeks God and has good will.” The official interpretation is that he was referring to the person, not the act. Catholic teaching holds that while homosexual acts are sinful, having a homosexual inclination is not, and that all persons should be treated with charity and respect.
Communion and Mortal Sin: The post’s claim that Francis said “one can receive Holy Communion in mortal sin” is a serious misrepresentation. The controversy stems from a footnote in his exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which suggested a path for divorced and remarried Catholics to potentially return to the sacraments after a long and rigorous period of pastoral discernment. It is not a blanket permission for anyone in a state of mortal sin to receive Communion.
The post concludes by accusing the Pope of “outright heresy.” In Catholicism, heresy has a very specific canonical definition: the obstinate denial of a truth that must be believed with divine and Catholic faith. None of the actions listed—which are matters of pastoral practice, discipline, or comments on secular law—meet this strict definition. The Pope has never formally taught that homosexual acts are not sinful or that marriage is not between a man and a woman. Using the term “heresy” in this context is polemical and inflammatory, not theologically or canonically precise.
In conclusion, the post is a clear example of confirmation bias. It takes a sociological finding and interprets it through a lens of suspicion, presenting a series of the Pope’s actions without their essential context to build a case that confirms a pre-existing conclusion.
Many cities had high murder rates; many cities practiced the blasphemous worship of idols.
Only Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities on the plain got hammered with fire and brimstone.
Hah!
Most of us, as I recall, tried to give Frankie every possible benefit of the doubt. Until we couldn't ...
The problem isn't that we're a bunch of ignorant dummies who just can't understand Frankie's ineffably subtle wisdom ...
The problem is that Frankies heresies were entirely too easy to understnad.
But hey! If you wan't to worship that ugly obscene south American idol that's on you. I warn you not to do it, though. Idolatry is a mortal sin ... even if a supposed pope promotes it.
“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
Unless the worthless deeds of evil and destruction are being done by a queer-friendly “pope”. Then ... make excuses for them.
Thank you, Rod. Your message is pointed out weekly to ebby. ebby doesn’t care. ebby posts misleading, hyperbolic, false language, and/or historically false articles from questionable sources, such as this, on a daily basis without regard to fact or the damage it can cause - and they always diminish the Catholic Church, various Popes and others. The vitriol tends towards Pope Francis, increasingly against Pope Leo and any Church development since about 1920. I call them his Cartoon Network. ebby has an insane clown posse that cheers him on and from which ebby also draws inappropriate articles. ebby’s posts engender hate toward Catholic teaching inside and outside the Catholic Caucus.
But, make no mistake, ebby is always, “right.” If you disagree with ebby you become a liar, a sodomist, a relative of “Fr. Jimmy” Martin, a Jesuit, a Bergolian or some other derogatory term. Please keep posting your posts. They are important for Catholics and others to hear.
No surprise there.
Sorry, Rod, but I’m not about to lie to protect a homo-enabling Jesuit who did give permission to bless sodomizing “couples” or who has stated God wills the diversity of religions. That’s heresy!
New believers need to know the Truth and they need to hear it from faithful Catholics, not Jesuits nor homo-sympathizers like oystir.
Thank you, Oystir.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.