Today, I’m Proud To Be A Catholic: The Pope Calls For Civil Unions For Same-Sex Couples

For the longest time, I didn’t want to associate myself with Catholicism because I had severe disagreements with the Church.

Then I realized I had severe disagreements with other liberals and polyamorous people, and I still identified with them.

As it is, being Catholic remains an issue, because the Church has fucked up a lot, and depending on the specific parish or the specific pastor, that one church can still have all the issues that make me want to fling religion aside. Still, there’s a lot of good humility and compassion to be extracted from the Bible, if you have the right eyes to see past your biases.

Pope Francis, however, generally makes me happy.

And today, Pope Francis took a magnificent stand, saying ““Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable because of it.” And also, “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”

And I know there will be backlash. I know the next Pope will probably walk it back. The struggle is never complete; it’s always three steps forward, two steps back, and the Church is a hoary, fragmented institution with eddies of repugnant hatred and abuse.

But today.

Today.

Today, I’m proud.