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The Pope's Catholic. No really, he is.

The Pope, not so progressive after all?

It turns out that Pope Francis visited Kim Davis on his historic trip to America last week and their secret tete-a-tete has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Kim Davis is the county clerk from Kentucky who was recently jailed for refusing to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the US. Their meeting in the Vatican Embassy was orchestrated by a Church official, happened in private and lasted 15 minutes. According to Davis’ lawyer, Pope Francis encouraged her to “stay strong” in her fight to discriminate against homosexual couples.

Kim Davis spent 6 days in jail recently after refusing to follow a court order to grant marriage licenses to same sex couples.

This is quite different to his public, seemingly non-plussed stance towards gay marriage. It is reported that he told U.S. bishops during this trip that they should stop complaining about it and focus their attention elsewhere.

With his call to action on climate change, his attempt to secure a pardon for the Georgia prisoner who was executed last night and his urging for compassion towards immigration, Pope Francis emerged from the trip with his progressive credentials intact.

This meeting changes that. The fact that it took place in private, that the Vatican initially refused to confirm or deny whether it took place, and that he was apparently encouraging of Davis’ anti-same-sex marriage, pierces a decent hole through that facade.

It is disappointing to accept that Pope Francis may not be the progressive religious leader we might like him to be. It is disappointing to accept that he has a killer PR strategy to create the illusion of being progressive.  It is disappointing that in public he appeared to be compassionate on the issue of same-sex marriage but in private praised the courage of Kim Davis.

Apparently Pope Francis gave Kim Davis a big thumbs up for her ‘courage’.

Is all of this disappointing? Absolutely. But is it surprising? Hardly. The Pope is Catholic. He is the head honcho of the CATHOLIC CHURCH. Is it really surprising that the man at the helm of an organisation which categorically rejects same-sex marriage, doesn’t actually support it?

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It isn’t.

As disappointing as that is, it’s a reminder. The Pope might be more socially progressive on some subjects, but probably not on same sex marriage. And while same-sex marriage has a lot of supporters, some of them in high places, the Pope isn’t one of them.

On leaving America on Sunday, Pope Francis was asked whether he supports individuals, including government officials, who claim religious liberty as a reason to disobey the law.

“I can’t have in mind all the cases that can exist about conscientious objection, but, yes, I can say that conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right. It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right.”

Love is love. The Pope is unlikely to be a key protagonist for this change.

The Archbishop of Hobart ­Julian Porteus is due to test the legal status of conscientious objectors here in Australia in the coming weeks.

He is going to dispute a complaint to Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commission on the ground of religious freedom. The complaint relates to a booklet the Catholic Church distributed which supports traditional marriage which is alleged to offend and humiliate gay, lesbian and transgender Australians.  It will be a significant decision for free speech, religious freedom and anti-discrimination legislation in Australia.

Yep.

As an aside, on the subject of conscientious objectors, particularly those within the Catholic Church, does anyone ever object to issuing a marriage certificate to an individual who has been divorced? Does anyone ever deny wedding cakes or invitations or flower arrangements to men or women who are heading down the aisle for the second or third time?

I haven’t read of that happening. Why is it that remarrying after divorce is accepted, even within the Catholic Church, but same-sex marriage isn’t?

Are you surprised that the “progressive Pope” met with Kim Davies? 

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