That new Pope Francis documentary certainly commanded some attention. If you’ve been following him from the beginning, it’s hard to get too concerned about anything anymore. The press attention to his papacy has been so often guided by ideology. The progressive Left, so to speak — and even the more mainstream conventional version that perhaps doesn’t always see its worldview as such — has held on to hope that he is their way to a Church they are more comfortable with, one conformed to the values of the times rather than being conformed to the cross of Jesus Christ. That’s not to absolve people on the right, of course, some of whom miss the best of Francis because of the politicized lens through which everything is seen.
If Pope Francis hadn’t gone on about a right to a family, the comments wouldn’t have captured my attention for too long. In retrospect, I wonder if we all should have tried to compromise on same-sex unions, across the board — basic legal, financial, and medical rights for all kinds of relationships. That way, marriage wouldn’t have been redefined. Of course, I understand that this wouldn’t have been enough for many, and it probably wouldn’t have been successful. But it’s an approach, and it’s one that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio took in Buenos Aires.
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