First post of the new year, let’s go! This was originally going to be finished before Christmas, but life got in the way. The holidays were fun, I went to my cousins’ house for our usual Christmas Eve dinner, and it was once again excellent. That’s always one of my favorite things to do every year, even as we all get older and we see things around us change.

Speaking of things changing, Pope Francis has made waves throughout the Christian world by not only approving, but openly defending a controversial new declaration issued by the Holy See earlier this month. The declaration, Fiducia Supplicans (which means “Supplicating Trust” in English), states that Catholic priests are now allowed to bless couples who are not considered to be married under the church’s canon law, including those in same-sex relationships. This declaration is a reversal of a 2021 ruling by the Holy See which forbade any blessings for same-sex couples, which was met with the usual response you’d expect from those who support LGBT rights.

None of this should come as a shock to anyone who has followed Francis’s papacy. Ever since his election in 2013, Francis has called for compassion and understanding towards gay people, openly expressing support for same-sex unions in 2020, and condemning the criminalization of same-sex acts in multiple African and Asian countries earlier this year. At the same time however, he has also reiterated the Catholic church’s written beliefs on same-sex marriage and homosexuality in general, with both being seen as sinful and wrong to indulge in.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. This entire issue is so far beyond screwed up that it’s honestly funny I’m sitting here even talking about it. Yet, at the same time, I am totally unsurprised we’ve reached this point. The Catholic church has long gone against the Word of God, whether it be their unabashed worship of the graven images in their many parishes or the false teaching that works mean more to our salvation than our faith. This is just another step in the wrong direction for that church, although I fear this one might be the beginning of something much, much worse to come.

R. C. Sproul once said that the kingdom of God is not Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood. The notion that same-sex attraction, let alone same-sex couples, should be considered worthy of a blessing by a priest in a church that claims to stand for the God of the Bible is nothing short of befuddling. Are Christians called to be compassionate and loving? Of course! We are all called to submit to God, to live like Christ, and to love one another. However, loving a brother or sister who struggles with same-sex attraction does not mean coddling them and supporting them in their sin, it means holding them accountable and supporting them in their journey to become more Christ-like, which involves the absence of partaking in homosexual urges.

Of course, temptations will happen, that’s obvious and expected, but when you act out on them, it’s dishonoring to God. It doesn’t matter how “big” or “little” a sin is, it is still an affront to God’s holiness and will be met with his almighty wrath unless repentance comes. Pope Francis, via the approval of Fiducia Supplicans, is directly contradicting the Word of God by allowing for those below him to bless those who live in sin and are unrepentant of it, which is both a sin on its own and a mockery of God’s design of the world.

The hypocrisy on display is also quite disturbing. You’re telling me that you recognize that same-sex relations are wrong in the eyes of God and that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, yet you also support the legalization of civil unions for gay Catholics? Which one is it, Francis? You cannot choose both. There is only one way to marry, and only one way to salvation. He doesn’t seem to recognize any of this, which is frankly appalling considering his position. The so-called “global representative” of Christianity should be better than this.

The reason I said that this could be the beginning of something worse to come is because of the implications this declaration has. Even though it’s a Catholic practice, this could pave the way for more and more Protestant churches to invite sin into leadership. Many Anglican and Lutheran churches are already struggling with this, with many more to follow, I’m sure. This can’t be allowed to happen. If the Church as a whole is going to continue standing for God, then action needs to be taken to make sure that Fiducia Supplicans isn’t replicated elsewhere.

Thankfully, there are numerous Catholic organizations and bishops who have spoken out against this ruling. The Episcopal Conferences of Malawi, Hungary and Poland have all stated that not only will they defy the new declaration, they will also continue to forbid any blessings for same-sex unions. Gerhard Ludwig Müller, former Cardinal-Prefect for the CDF, said that the church “cannot celebrate one thing and teach another”, which is what I said above as well. While I disagree with these men on some issues of faith, I can at least say that they know what God stands for in the case of marriage and relationships, and that what they are saying is what other Christians need to hear. I pray that it isn’t too late for that.

In the meantime, I also pray that the Pope can realize what he’s doing, and that he may reverse this ruling. I doubt he will, but God sometimes works in swift and abrupt ways. Hopefully, this will end up being one of those times.