Pope Francis' reported comments to a gay man that "God made you like this" have been embraced by the LGBT community as another sign of Francis' desire to make gay people feel welcomed and loved in the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis asperges holy water as he celebrates a Pentecost mass in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Juan Carlos Cruz, the main whistleblower in Chile's clerical sex abuse and cover-up scandal, said Monday he spoke to Francis about his homosexuality during their recent meetings at the Vatican. The pope invited Cruz and other victims of a Chilean predator priest to discuss their cases last month.
Cruz said he told Francis how Chile's bishops used his sexual orientation as a weapon to try to discredit him, and of the pain the personal attacks had caused him.
"He said, 'Look Juan Carlos, the pope loves you this way. God made you like this and he loves you,'" Cruz told The Associated Press.
The Vatican declined to confirm or deny the remarks in keeping with its policy not to comment on the pope's private conversations. The comments first were reported by Spain's El Pais newspaper.
Church teaching says gays should be respected, loved and not discriminated against, but considers homosexual activity "intrinsically disordered." Francis, though, has sought to make the church more welcoming to gays, most famously with his 2013 comment "Who am I to judge?"
He also has spoken of his own ministry to gay and transgender people, insisting they are children of God, loved by God and deserving of accompaniment by the church.
As a result, some commentators downplayed the significance of the comments to Cruz, saying they merely were in line with Francis' pastoral-minded attitude and not in any way a challenge to current doctrine.
"What the pope was saying is, 'God loves you and made you just as you are, and therefore you should accept yourself as you are while struggling to live according to the Gospel,'" said the Rev. Robert Gahl, a moral theologian at Rome's Pontifical Holy Cross University.
Whether or not the pope intended to break ground, there was a time when the Catholic Church taught that sexual orientation was not something people choose.
The first edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the dense summary of Catholic teaching published by St. John Paul II in 1992, said gay individuals "do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial."
The updated edition, which is the only edition available online and on the Vatican website, removed the reference. The revised edition says: "This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial."
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for equality for LGBT Catholics, said the pope's comments were "tremendous" and would do a lot of good.
"It would do a lot better if he would make these statements publicly, because LGBT people need to hear that message from religious leaders, from Catholic leaders," he said.
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit whose book "Building a Bridge" called for the church to find new pastoral ways of ministering to gays, noted that the pope's comments were in a private conversation, not a public pronouncement or document. But Martin said they were nevertheless significant, particularly given the original version of the Catechism.
"The pope is saying what every reputable biologist and psychologist will tell you, which is that people do not choose their sexual orientation," Martin said in a telephone interview.
A great failing of the church, he said, is that many Catholics have been reluctant to say so, which then "makes people feel guilty about something they have no control over."
Martin's book is being published this week in Italian, with a preface by the Francis-appointed bishop of Bologna, Monsignor Matteo Zuppi, a sign that the message of acceptance is being embraced even in traditionally conservative Italy.
U.S. Olympic hurdler Christina Clemons sent numerous emails to those in the track community raising concerns over a gap in health care insurance coverage for new mothers who still wanted to compete.
Those baby steps turned into big strides as USA Track & Field unveiled a program Thursday that expands an existing maternity support system to give athletes more time to work their way back. It's one less hurdle for women in the sport who want to start a family in the middle of their careers.
For Clemons, it's a way to help carry the baton and follow in the footsteps of Allyson Felix and others who have been advocating for equality for mothers on and off the track.
“There is a huge lack of support in sports in general when it comes to mothers, which is crazy to me," said the 33-year-old Clemons, who gave birth to her son, Kylo, on Feb. 4, 2023, and is trying to make the U.S. team for the Paris Games this summer. "This program (by USATF) really is filling a gap and coming in and saving the day. You don’t feel so pressured to perform at a time when no matter what you do, you really can’t — not a year after pregnancy.”
Under the current system, a Team USA athlete can gain assistance through the Elite Athlete Health Insurance set up by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. It provides insurance for one year after the end of a pregnancy, with the caveat that an athlete still expects to compete. There's also an athlete stipend.
USATF's new plan increases the time frame to give an athlete more of an opportunity to recover and more chances to requalify for their funding, which is based on results and rankings through a tiered system that need to be achieved by a certain date. To qualify for tier status, an athlete must meet certain criteria such as being a medalist or finalist in the most recent major meet (Olympics or world championships) or finish in the top 15 in the world rankings. There are other levels, too, based on performance.
This season, USATF's expanded policy includes six athletes, with funding part of the organization's overall budget. It reimburses for COBRA health care premiums, along with providing additional support through the USATF's high-performance programs.
“For us, it’s a pretty simple fix — and an important fix,” said Renee Chube Washington, the chief operating officer for USATF. “It’s stressful being a new mom or dad. ... If we can help ease a little bit of that stress, we can and we will."
For so long, women in track and field encountered the same sort of message — get pregnant and face barriers. Through the actions over the years of some of the sport's top runners like Felix, Kara Goucher and Alysia Montano, more light is being cast on the subject. They successfully lobbied for more protections over endorsement-contract terms.
Clemons wants to help pave the way, too.
“It’s extremely important because these changes that us mothers are making will change the outlook women have on becoming mothers while still competing,” said Clemons, a silver medalist in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2018 world indoor championships. “Many women wait until after they finish their careers to become mothers because of the fear of not being supported. We shouldn’t have to put our lives on hold when men don’t have to.”
In addition, USATF is exploring ways to provide child care options at big events for athletes who are parents.
“It’s all a part of a holistic approach to help our athletes," Washington said. "It's part of the secret sauce that makes the difference to get us on the podium, which is where we want to be.”
For Clemons, the new health insurance policy became a game changer.
Clemons competed until she was 2 1/2 months pregnant, with her last race at the 2022 U.S. outdoor championships that June. She didn't officially return to training until last October, which didn't give her a chance to requalify for tier benefits by the September deadline. She sent email after email to officials to voice her concerns.
The new program grants her a grace period to obtain tier status. Clemons made the U.S. squad for the world indoor championships last month, advancing to the semifinals in the hurdles. But it wasn't until a race two weeks ago when she truly felt back, matching a personal-best time.
“What USATF did to correct this (gap) is huge for mothers,” said Clemons, who is preparing for U.S. Olympic trials in June in an effort to earn a ticket to Paris. “I’m very appreciative.
“I have the support that I need behind me. I really, truly feel like I’ll make this team and I’ll come home with a medal.”
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
FILE - Christina Clemons, of the United States, reacts after a women's 100-meter hurdles semifinal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo. U.S. Olympic hurdler Christina Clemons sent email after email raising concerns over a gap in health-care insurance coverage for new mothers who still wanted to compete. Those baby steps turned into big strides as USA Track and Field unveiled a program Thursday, April 25, 2024, that expands an existing maternity support system to give new moms even more time to return to an elite level. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
FILE - Christina Clemons, of the United States, and Helena Jiranova, of the Czech Republic, compete in a women's 60 meters hurdles heat during the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday, March 3, 2024. U.S. Olympic hurdler Christina Clemons sent email after email raising concerns over a gap in health-care insurance coverage for new mothers who still wanted to compete. Those baby steps turned into big strides as USA Track and Field unveiled a program Thursday, April 25, that expands an existing maternity support system to give new moms even more time to return to an elite level. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
