(LifeSiteNews) — 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.
