Pope Francis - Gay and Hopeful

As I stated in a previous blog, [St. Francis and the Leper] in Jesus’ time, many thought that leprosy was a punishment from God. A leper was forced to live separate from the community for fear of the spread of the disease (Num 5:1-4).They were forced to wear identifiable dress, leave their heads uncovered, and identify themselves as unclean.They became outcast; cut off from their families, friends and community.

In Mark’s Gospel (Mark 1:40-42), Jesus cures a leper in the gesture of touching him. At first glance this story seems to be one of the many cures Jesus performed in his public ministry. But on a deeper level, it deals with social exclusion. Jesus’ culture would have thought Jesus leprous as well after he touched the man who had leprosy. The Gospel writer is clear, “Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.” Jesus was willing to suffer the social consequences of the touch. He was willing to stand against the beliefs of his own faith and touch the leper.

St. Francis of Assisi, like his contemporary peers, also held these same distorted beliefs about leprosy. Not much had changed from Jesus’ time, even though Jesus stood against these beliefs. But it was the leper that transformed St. Francis of Assisi. In his Testament he says, “And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body.”

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio after being elected Pope took the name "Francis" after St. Francis of Assisi. This is where my hope lies. Lepers were those that St. Francis of Assisi despised the most. His cultural expectation was to shun the leper, yet he was moved by Love – The Holy Spirit – which called him out of his cultural expectation and moved him into a new way of life. A life defined by compassion, mercy and love towards the leper and others.

The Spirit that moved St. Francis of Assisi, can also move Pope Francis ,to embrace homosexuals with the same compassion, mercy and love. And like St. Francis of Assisi, "And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body," can happen for Pope Francis.

We now know as 21st century Christians, that leprosy is not a punishment from God. We would be hard press to find a Christian who would make such a claim.  Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis.  It is believed that 95% of the population is naturally immune to leprosy.

We now know as 21st century people, that homosexuality is not a disorder. The American Psychological Association, a scientific and professional organization states:

“Lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations are not disorders. Research has found no inherent association between any of these sexual orientations and psychopathology. Both heterosexual behavior and homosexual behavior are normal aspects of human sexuality. Both have been documented in many different cultures and historical eras. Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay, and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships are normal forms of human bonding."

Science has moved us away from the distorted view of leprosy and is now moving us away from the distorted view of homosexuality. Pope Francis must have the courage to confront the tough cultural issues of our time, the biased treatment of homosexuals.  And like St. Francis of Assisi, be moved by love to embrace the other as himself.

Let us pray that the Spirit will guide Pope Francis with wisdom, understanding and courage. The conversion of St. Francis of Assisi transformed his era and brought renewal to the Church.  The conversion of Pope Francis can bring renewal to the Church.  We must pray.

Finally, to my heterosexual brothers and sisters what can seem bitter about our children and friends, their homosexuality, can become sweetness of soul and body if we move beyond our fears and embrace the other; as Francis embraced the leper.  To my gay brothers and sisters what can seem bitter about ourselves, can become sweetness of soul and body if we move beyond the negative messages we’ve internalized about ourselves and embrace our sexuality with compassion and love.

Let us pray, that the Spirit that moved St. Francis of Assisi will move his name sake Pope Francis, to embrace gay men and women with the same compassion, mercy and love, as Francis embraced the leper. Otherwise continued generation will continue to suffer from prejudice, discrimination, and violence.

Peace and all good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Personal Reflection:
Has your views on certain groups of people ever changed (for instance the homeless, mentally ill, disabled, etc...)  What happened to change your view?  Feel free to share your story in the comment spaces below.

Gay Men and the Holocaust

Pope Benedict XVI, in 2009 was criticized by the Jewish and International Community for lifting the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson. Bishop Williamson was among four ultraconservative Bishops - all members of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X - whose excommunications were lifted, in a bid by the Pope to end a schism that began in 1988. Williamson in a Swedish interview disputed that six million Jews had died at the hands of the Nazis, and said that none had died in gas chambers. 

Pope Benedict XVI later apologized to the Jewish community and stated that any denial of the Holocaust is "intolerable," especially if it comes from a clergyman. He went on to say to American Jewish leaders...

"The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah [Holocaust] was a crime against humanity," he said. "This should be clear to everyone, especially to those standing in the tradition of the Holy Scriptures..."

Apparently, it was not clear to Bishop Mark Davies from the United Kingdom who used his 2012 Christmas homily to compare equal-marriage efforts in Britain to the Nazis movement. These remarks by Bishop Mark Davies are highly offensive and shows he needs to be educated on the history of the Holocaust. 

 

Upon the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay men and, to a lesser extent, lesbians, were two of the numerous groups targeted by the Nazi Party and were ultimately among Holocaust victims. Between 1935 and 1945, an estimated 100,000 men were arrested as homosexuals, of whom some 50,000 were officially sentenced. Most of these men served time in regular prisons, and up to 15,000 of those sentenced were incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps; were an estimated 60% were exterminated. The story doesn't end with the allied forces entering the concentration camps and liberating the prisoners.

As the Allies swept through Europe to victory over the Nazi regime in early 1945, hundreds of thousands of concentration camp prisoners were liberated. However, some homosexuals were forced to serve out their terms of imprisonment regardless of time served in the concentration camps. Homosexual concentration camp survivors were not even publicly acknowledged as victims of Nazi persecution by Germany until 1984.

Reparations and state pensions available to other groups were refused to gay men, who were still classified as criminals. The Nazi anti-gay law wasn't repealed until 1994. In May of 2002, the German parliament finally completed legislation to pardon all homosexuals convicted under Nazi anti-gay law. Until then homosexual concentration camp survivors were still registered on sex offender lists.

Unlike the Jewish community that received an apology from Pope Benedict XVI for Bishop Richard Williamson remarks; homosexuals received no such apology for Bishop Mark Davies remarks.  It's important that we know our history or as they say, "We are doomed to repeat it."  You might be tempted to think that a holocaust could never happen in today's world.  Don't!

The country of Uganda has put forth a legislative proposal called Anti-Homosexuality Bill (often called the "Kill the Gays Bill") that would broaden the criminalization of same-sex relations in Uganda from the current 14 years in prison to the possibility of the death penalty. Is this starting to sound familiar? To add injury to insult Pope Benedict XVI even greeted the Uganda Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga during a Wenesday general audience mass; who promised to pass the bill as a "Christmas Present" to her people. 

Pope Benedict XVI greets Uganda
Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.

We live in the United States, why should I be concerned?  Because a gay child will listen to a news report, read a paper, hear a sermon about the hatred of homosexuals.  And one very cruel lesson will be ingrained in that child:  There is something about me that is essentially unlovable; that others would rather see me dead.  Exposure to this overwhelming shame at an age when you are not psychologically capable of handling it is disabling!  If you have been reading my blog you've seen it played out in my own life.  In the upcoming blogs, I will continue to share my journey and my personal struggles with coming to terms with my sexuality.

It is my prayer that one day our children will walk in the truth of who they are and know that they are beautifully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God and they are good. 

Peace and all good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for more information on the Nazi persecution of homosexual between 1935 and 1945.

Personal Reflection:
Have you ever experienced discrimination or violence because of your sexuality?  How did you feel?  Feel free to share your story in the comment spaces below.