The present Pope's ideas about homosexuality are rather weird. I suppose that will leave many with a more visible contrasting point of view between Catholicism as a denomination with a special relationship to homos over the millennia and the Church as the invisible relationship of the saved to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ hasn't anything to apologize for. God is perfect and his laws are just. It is sinful man (and woman) that need to apologize for sin to one.
The Roman Catholic Church is not an egalitarian Priesthood of Believers so it is subject to the corrupting power of elites. Homosexuality is sin and should be known to be so and as proscribed from Christian conduct as adultery, theft and murder etc. The power of the state and the power of the visible church ought not be the same. Neither should the visible church choose to try to attain condign power in the secular realm.
Thomas Aquinus wrote on the topic of homsexuality. A wikipedia article says that (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_medieval_Europe):
"In the 13th century C.E., the theologian Thomas Aquinas was influential in linking condemnations of homosexuality with the idea of natural law, arguing that "special sins are against nature, as, for instance, those that run counter to the intercourse of male and female natural to animals, and so are peculiarly qualified as unnatural vices."[8] This view points from the natural to the Divine, because (following Aristotle) he said all people seek happiness; but according to Aquinas, happiness can only finally be attained through the Beatific Vision.[9] Therefore, all sins are also against the natural law. But the natural law of many aspects of life is knowable apart from special revelation by examining the forms and purposes of those aspects. It is in this sense that Aquinas considered homosexuality unnatural, since it involves a kind of partner other than the kind to which the purpose of sexuality points. Indeed, he considered it second only to bestiality as an abuse of sexuality.[10]"
The Pope should not mislead about sin being o.k. when it isn't. Too many think it is as it is without supposed Christian ministers winking an eye at it. Assuredly governments are corrupt in many respects about policy and mislead the public themselves intentionally, unintentionally and through abuse of power.
Hierarchies of power and politics historically have tended towards violating individual human and civil rights. Innumerable means of covert and overt repression have arrogated power unto insider elites that regard themselves as having some moral right to oppress citizens. The defense of freedom requires freedom of religion and free speech for individuals more so than public broadcast media with racketeering and persecution advantages even in a democracy and especially in a totalitarian government. Omosexuality is sin yet as a private concern it isn’t a concern of a democratic government except as it becomes an over and corrupting political power on a practical basis weakening social character and the security of all people that have no interest in a buch hegemonistic government authority.
Homosexuals as organizers for a particular sin’s toleration and empowerment for those particular sinners have tended to take an in-your-face political approach that is belligerent and antagonistic rather than innovative and unique to their own interests. I write of course of marriage. They could have formed homocoupling protocols and left marriage alone instead of destroying its unique historical and social circumstance. Perhaps the Pope is was homosexual himself or let off too many homosexual priests and child abusers. As a top squishy bureaucrat he may be a moral Chamberlain rather than a forthright moral Churchill. Appeasement of sin in a tone that seems to approve of sin is just wrong. Corrupt leadership in a hierarchical organization can doom the followers sometimes.
I think that some ministers have a feudal approach to their 21st century flock regarding literacy, mobility, economic and political environments and male-female social roles that make them a little too detached from social reality and many people leave the church or never join. They are poor at apologetic too having little understanding of contemporary cosmology or philosophy and how that relates to theology and interpretation of Genesis. The speak of man being corrupt rather than men and women being corrupt as if women were still owned by husbands and not accountable socially. When women are the majority of college graduates it simply makes men seem stupid. The news in Alaska reports women embezzling from governments as often or more so than men. Sin isn’t discriminatory.
Homosexuality is wrong as Christians recognize it correctly, yet Christian conduct would have people being non-judgmental as James describes, in admonishing the brothers and sisters to treat people equally-and that was a radical thing for the first century. There are procedures and ethics for Christians to follow regarding ethics, and that is where the errors occur generally, when Christian conduct becomes worldly conduct instead. The inquisition of the Catholic Church is an example of that, yet there were political challenges to the survival of Europe that stimulated it to bring church and state from Spain to Italy and Constantinople. The Church as a monolithic entity was a strong balance to extraneous forces attacking Europe from within and without until such a time that the protestant reformation was strong enough to revolt against papal domination of ecclesiastical affairs. Monopolies generally corrupt and absolute monarchies corrupt even if dispersed into plutocratic corporatism with talking head Presidential pawns.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”
2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
