So the Pope died, as you’ve probably heard. Pope Francis was an interesting figure in the Church. He seemed to raise public approval for his office, particularly amongst progressives, Catholic or not. Despite his jovial demeanour and his more tactful and compassionate approaches to controversial issues than past popes, journalist David Crary reminds us that Francis’ papacy did little to alter core church doctrine. Nonetheless, his actions caused alarm for many a conservative Catholic, some Church leadership included. Francis made great strides to promote a welcoming attitude toward those long considered as sinners and reprobates in the eyes of the Church, transgender people in particular. Pending who follows Francis and the intricacies of their governance, time will tell whether Francis’ stances on sex and sexuality were just fluff, or whether he moved the needle on queerness within one of the world’s largest organized religions.
What’s next for LGBTQ+ issues and the Catholic Church?
