Pope Francis' Battle With Conservatives Heats Up

Pope Francis is inching closer toward blessing same-sex unions, presenting a major shift in the Catholic Church's ideology.

The views of Pope Francis, who began his papacy in March 2013 after succeeding Pope Benedict XVI, have been more progressive than his predecessors, drawing critiques from American Catholics who have openly questioned whether he is a positive conduit for the church's messaging and if he understands the American faith.

The pope has remained steadfast in his convictions, however, challenging ardent and potentially antiquated views regarding same-sex marriage and other issues like environmental protections. He has said that being gay is not a sin and has not been shy to acknowledge the increasingly "reactionary" nature of U.S. Catholicism.

"The Church has a very clear understanding of marriage: an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation," Pope Francis wrote in a July letter written in Spanish and published by Vatican News on Tuesday.

But he presented a caveat that views do evolve, even those within the church and its storied history.

"However, in our relationships with people, we must not lose the pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes," he said. "The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity; it also includes kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude."

The pope's comments will be magnified this week during an assembly of bishops in Rome, known as a synod, which along with same-sex unions will include discussion about priestly celibacy, married priests, the ordination of female deacons, and extending sacraments to divorced people.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry—a Catholic outreach that educates and advocates for equity, inclusion and justice for LGBTQ+ people—is in Rome for the synod.

DeBernardo told Newsweek via phone that the pope's comments regarding same-sex unions, made in response to five conservative cardinals' questions to the Vatican, reminds him of same-sex marriage being legalized in 2015 by the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Generally, this is truly a great advance," he said. "For a pope to express openness, even a little openness to blessing same-gender couples, is something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime.

"I think it's a very hopeful step. It's not the step we would have liked to see, which was more open and stronger support for blessings. But with his statements, blessings are going to go forward."

Along with the thousands of LGBTQ+ Catholics his ministry has aided, he said the change not of doctrine but of practice can have enormous repercussions for helping to broadly change people's attitudes in Catholicism. Understanding the gay and lesbian reality will not lead to a schism within the church, he believes.

The pope has come a long way since his papacy began, he added, considering one of his earliest statements was for the church not to focus too much on sexual issues. That gradually turned into a more emphasized welcome consisting of openness, dialogue and affirming LGBTQ people.

"I think he has paved the way for a greater discussion of these issues," DeBernardo said. "I've been doing this work 30 years. In the last 10, I have seen geometric explosion of Catholic people interested in reaching out to see LGBTQ+ people.

"And I think that is all because of the model he has offered of himself of being open to these issues. The pope, like the president of the United States, makes changes in more ways than legislation—it's tone, agenda and style. And he does that."

While some entities like the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland have instituted a policy restricting LGBTQ+ identity and expression at its schools in Northeast Ohio, Pope Francis continues his stance of honesty—even chastising the "backwardness" of some conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church whom he thinks have replaced faith with political ideology.

Recently, some reports indicated that the pope and Vatican would seek the resignation of Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, for his leadership style and right-wing comments on social media.

But Strickland has said he would not give up his position, even at the request of Pope Francis. He has expressed confusion at various reports that have indicated his time is running thin.

"I have said publicly that I cannot resign as Bishop of Tyler because that would be me abandoning the flock that I was given charge of by Pope Benedict XVI," Strickland said in a September 20 statement. "I have also said that I will respect the authority of Pope Francis if he removes me from office as Bishop of Tyler.

"I love Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church which He established. My only desire is to speak His Truth and live God's Will to the best of my ability."

Ryan Di Corpo, managing editor of LGBTQ Catholic resource Outreach, told Newsweek via email that Pope Francis "has provided a pastoral avenue for same-sex couples to be included in the life of the church and treated with respect."

"Throughout his 10-year pontificate, the pope has repeatedly sought to draw people on the peripheries, especially LGBTQ Catholics, towards the center of church life," Di Corpo said. "His outreach towards LGBTQ people has been met with backlash from some corners of the U.S. church, especially among certain conservative cardinals and bishops.

"I do not expect that strident critics of the pope will suddenly embrace his 'big tent' view of the church. But I do expect that the pope, regardless of possible backlash from U.S. detractors, will continue to proclaim the truth of the gospel message that embraces all and rejects none."