On Gay Unions, a Pragmatist Before He Was a Pope

[_Abyssinia]

Bergoglio proposed civil unions for homosexuals as alternative to ‘marriage,’ claims John Allen

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, did in fact propose “civil union” legislation as a “compromise solution” on the issue of homosexual “marriage” in 2010, according to John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter, a newspaper that frequently publishes attacks on Catholic doctrine.

Allen personally traveled to Buenos Aires, where he says that three different unnamed sources confirmed to him the truth of the claim, which was made by several newspapers following the election of Bergoglio in March, including the New York Times.

Two of the sources, according to Allen, were senior officials of the Argentina Episcopal Conference, of which Bergoglio was the head until his recent election. Both officials “worked with Bergoglio and took part in the behind-the-scenes discussions as the conference tried to shape its position,” Allen claims.

Allen also cites two other sources in the Argentinean press who publicly confirm the story: Mariano de Vedia of the La Nación newspaper, and Guillermo Villarreal, whom Allen simply calls a “Catholic journalist.”

According to Allen’s sources, Bergoglio privately debated with fellow bishops over the issue, advocating the endorsement of civil union legislation, apparently as an alternative to homosexual “marriage” in 2010. A majority of bishops rejected his stance and Bergoglio accepted their decision, remaining silent about civil unions during the debate over homosexual “marriage” that year. Ultimately homosexual “marriage” was approved by the National Congress.

However, Allen clarifies, Bergoglio never supported homosexual “marriage” itself.

Allen’s account also tends to confirm reports by the Catholic traditionalist website Rorate Caeli indicating that Bergoglio provided only a weak public response to the drive for homosexual “marriage.” Allen reports that Bergoglio personally called one individual to urge him not to have a public rosary outside the legislature while the debate was occurring, but rather to “pray at home.”

Conflicting signals

Although Bergoglio is accused of having been soft on homosexual “marriage,” what the cardinal did say at the time was undeniably strong.

As LifeSiteNews.com reported in 2010, Bergoglio wrote a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires regarding the issue that was anything but ambiguous.

“Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God,” Bergoglio stated in the letter. “We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

To the clergy in local parishes, Bergoglio noted that “The Argentinean people will have to confront, in the coming weeks, a situation whose result could gravely injure the family. We are speaking of a bill regarding marriage between people of the same sex,” a bill that calls into question “the identity, and the survival of the family: father, mother, and children.” The latter, warned Bergoglio, might also be threatened by homosexual adoption, which would be a true form of discrimination.

The accounts by Allen’s sources are also contradicted by a personal confidant of Bergoglio during his years as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Miguel Woites, who told the Spanish Catholic news agency ACI Prensa that the New York Times story “isn’t true. It’s a complete error.”

“It’s not correct to write something like that out of thin air,” added Woites. “That (New York Times) article was very criticized by the bishops. He certainly would have referred to unions of convenience but not that anything be legalized.”

---

 

[_Abyssinia]

Bergoglio proposed civil unions for homosexuals as alternative to ‘marriage,’ claims John Allen

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, did in fact propose “civil union” legislation as a “compromise solution” on the issue of homosexual “marriage” in 2010, according to John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter, a newspaper that frequently publishes attacks on Catholic doctrine.

Allen personally traveled to Buenos Aires, where he says that three different unnamed sources confirmed to him the truth of the claim, which was made by several newspapers following the election of Bergoglio in March, including the New York Times.

Two of the sources, according to Allen, were senior officials of the Argentina Episcopal Conference, of which Bergoglio was the head until his recent election. Both officials “worked with Bergoglio and took part in the behind-the-scenes discussions as the conference tried to shape its position,” Allen claims.

Allen also cites two other sources in the Argentinean press who publicly confirm the story: Mariano de Vedia of the La Nación newspaper, and Guillermo Villarreal, whom Allen simply calls a “Catholic journalist.”

According to Allen’s sources, Bergoglio privately debated with fellow bishops over the issue, advocating the endorsement of civil union legislation, apparently as an alternative to homosexual “marriage” in 2010. A majority of bishops rejected his stance and Bergoglio accepted their decision, remaining silent about civil unions during the debate over homosexual “marriage” that year. Ultimately homosexual “marriage” was approved by the National Congress.

However, Allen clarifies, Bergoglio never supported homosexual “marriage” itself.

Allen’s account also tends to confirm reports by the Catholic traditionalist website Rorate Caeli indicating that Bergoglio provided only a weak public response to the drive for homosexual “marriage.” Allen reports that Bergoglio personally called one individual to urge him not to have a public rosary outside the legislature while the debate was occurring, but rather to “pray at home.”

Conflicting signals

Although Bergoglio is accused of having been soft on homosexual “marriage,” what the cardinal did say at the time was undeniably strong.

As LifeSiteNews.com reported in 2010, Bergoglio wrote a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires regarding the issue that was anything but ambiguous.

“Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God,” Bergoglio stated in the letter. “We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

To the clergy in local parishes, Bergoglio noted that “The Argentinean people will have to confront, in the coming weeks, a situation whose result could gravely injure the family. We are speaking of a bill regarding marriage between people of the same sex,” a bill that calls into question “the identity, and the survival of the family: father, mother, and children.” The latter, warned Bergoglio, might also be threatened by homosexual adoption, which would be a true form of discrimination.

The accounts by Allen’s sources are also contradicted by a personal confidant of Bergoglio during his years as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Miguel Woites, who told the Spanish Catholic news agency ACI Prensa that the New York Times story “isn’t true. It’s a complete error.”

“It’s not correct to write something like that out of thin air,” added Woites. “That (New York Times) article was very criticized by the bishops. He certainly would have referred to unions of convenience but not that anything be legalized.”

---

 

[_Abyssinia]

Bergoglio proposed civil unions for homosexuals as alternative to ‘marriage,’ claims John Allen

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, did in fact propose “civil union” legislation as a “compromise solution” on the issue of homosexual “marriage” in 2010, according to John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter, a newspaper that frequently publishes attacks on Catholic doctrine.

Allen personally traveled to Buenos Aires, where he says that three different unnamed sources confirmed to him the truth of the claim, which was made by several newspapers following the election of Bergoglio in March, including the New York Times.

Two of the sources, according to Allen, were senior officials of the Argentina Episcopal Conference, of which Bergoglio was the head until his recent election. Both officials “worked with Bergoglio and took part in the behind-the-scenes discussions as the conference tried to shape its position,” Allen claims.

Allen also cites two other sources in the Argentinean press who publicly confirm the story: Mariano de Vedia of the La Nación newspaper, and Guillermo Villarreal, whom Allen simply calls a “Catholic journalist.”

According to Allen’s sources, Bergoglio privately debated with fellow bishops over the issue, advocating the endorsement of civil union legislation, apparently as an alternative to homosexual “marriage” in 2010. A majority of bishops rejected his stance and Bergoglio accepted their decision, remaining silent about civil unions during the debate over homosexual “marriage” that year. Ultimately homosexual “marriage” was approved by the National Congress.

However, Allen clarifies, Bergoglio never supported homosexual “marriage” itself.

Allen’s account also tends to confirm reports by the Catholic traditionalist website Rorate Caeli indicating that Bergoglio provided only a weak public response to the drive for homosexual “marriage.” Allen reports that Bergoglio personally called one individual to urge him not to have a public rosary outside the legislature while the debate was occurring, but rather to “pray at home.”

Conflicting signals

Although Bergoglio is accused of having been soft on homosexual “marriage,” what the cardinal did say at the time was undeniably strong.

As LifeSiteNews.com reported in 2010, Bergoglio wrote a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires regarding the issue that was anything but ambiguous.

“Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God,” Bergoglio stated in the letter. “We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

To the clergy in local parishes, Bergoglio noted that “The Argentinean people will have to confront, in the coming weeks, a situation whose result could gravely injure the family. We are speaking of a bill regarding marriage between people of the same sex,” a bill that calls into question “the identity, and the survival of the family: father, mother, and children.” The latter, warned Bergoglio, might also be threatened by homosexual adoption, which would be a true form of discrimination.

The accounts by Allen’s sources are also contradicted by a personal confidant of Bergoglio during his years as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Miguel Woites, who told the Spanish Catholic news agency ACI Prensa that the New York Times story “isn’t true. It’s a complete error.”

“It’s not correct to write something like that out of thin air,” added Woites. “That (New York Times) article was very criticized by the bishops. He certainly would have referred to unions of convenience but not that anything be legalized.”

---

 

[_Abyssinia]

Why are the sources unnamed?

Bergoglio proposed civil unions for homosexuals as alternative to ‘marriage,’ claims John Allen

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, did in fact propose “civil union” legislation as a “compromise solution” on the issue of homosexual “marriage” in 2010, according to John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter, a newspaper that frequently publishes attacks on Catholic doctrine.

Allen personally traveled to Buenos Aires, where he says that three different unnamed sources confirmed to him the truth of the claim, which was made by several newspapers following the election of Bergoglio in March, including the New York Times.

Two of the sources, according to Allen, were senior officials of the Argentina Episcopal Conference, of which Bergoglio was the head until his recent election. Both officials “worked with Bergoglio and took part in the behind-the-scenes discussions as the conference tried to shape its position,” Allen claims.

Allen also cites two other sources in the Argentinean press who publicly confirm the story: Mariano de Vedia of the La Nación newspaper, and Guillermo Villarreal, whom Allen simply calls a “Catholic journalist.”

According to Allen’s sources, Bergoglio privately debated with fellow bishops over the issue, advocating the endorsement of civil union legislation, apparently as an alternative to homosexual “marriage” in 2010. A majority of bishops rejected his stance and Bergoglio accepted their decision, remaining silent about civil unions during the debate over homosexual “marriage” that year. Ultimately homosexual “marriage” was approved by the National Congress.

However, Allen clarifies, Bergoglio never supported homosexual “marriage” itself.

Allen’s account also tends to confirm reports by the Catholic traditionalist website Rorate Caeli indicating that Bergoglio provided only a weak public response to the drive for homosexual “marriage.” Allen reports that Bergoglio personally called one individual to urge him not to have a public rosary outside the legislature while the debate was occurring, but rather to “pray at home.”

Conflicting signals

Although Bergoglio is accused of having been soft on homosexual “marriage,” what the cardinal did say at the time was undeniably strong.

As LifeSiteNews.com reported in 2010, Bergoglio wrote a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires regarding the issue that was anything but ambiguous.

“Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God,” Bergoglio stated in the letter. “We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

To the clergy in local parishes, Bergoglio noted that “The Argentinean people will have to confront, in the coming weeks, a situation whose result could gravely injure the family. We are speaking of a bill regarding marriage between people of the same sex,” a bill that calls into question “the identity, and the survival of the family: father, mother, and children.” The latter, warned Bergoglio, might also be threatened by homosexual adoption, which would be a true form of discrimination.

The accounts by Allen’s sources are also contradicted by a personal confidant of Bergoglio during his years as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Miguel Woites, who told the Spanish Catholic news agency ACI Prensa that the New York Times story “isn’t true. It’s a complete error.”

“It’s not correct to write something like that out of thin air,” added Woites. “That (New York Times) article was very criticized by the bishops. He certainly would have referred to unions of convenience but not that anything be legalized.”

---

 

[OriginalJS]

From what I see Pope Francis is being sensitive and smart. But, as noted, this is very early to start drawing conclusions.

 

[Digitonomy]

Why are the sources unnamed?

They agreed to discuss the matter with Allen only as background sources.

 

[Lucky7]

I’m giving the pope the benefit of the doubt on this one. There are conflicting reports and what is more important is what he does as Pope now.