DOCTRINE.
DOCTRINE. THEY CAME IN A NEW DOCUMENTARY TONIGHT.
KENT EXPLAINS WHY ALL OF THIS
MATTERS AS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
MOVES FORWARD. IS
>> THE DOCUMENTARY FRANCESCO
PREMIERED AT THE ROME FILM
FESTIVAL. POPE FRANCIS INSTANTLY
BEGAN MAKING INTERNATIONAL
HEADLINES AFTER THE FILM
REVEALED HIS ENDORSEMENT OF SAME
SEX CIVIL UNIONS A FIRST FOR A
SITTING POPE
SITTING POPE >>. THIS REPRESENTS AN
EARTHQUAKE. A DRAMATIC MOVE OVER
THE LAST LET'S SAY 20 TO 25
YEARS
YEARS
YEARS >>.
YEARS >>. CHARLES REED IS A PROFESSOR
AT ST. THOMAS SPECIALIZING
IN CANON LAW WHICH IS MADE
AND ENFORCED BY THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH. HE SAYS
ONE QUOTE FROM POPE FRANCIS
IN THE DOCUMENTARY STANDS OUT.
HOMOSEXUAL PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT
TO BE IN A FAMILY. THEY
ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, FRANCIS
SAID. YOU CAN'T KICK SOMEONE OUT
OF THE FAMILY NOR MAKE THEIR
LIFE MISERABLE FOR THIS. WHAT
WE HAVE TO HAVE IS A CIVIL UNION
LAW. THAT WAY THEY ARE LEGALLY
COVERED . NO ONE IS THE URGENCY.
WHENI SAYS WE HAVE TO DO THIS
THAT AS AN ELEMENT OF URGENCY.
AND SECONDLY, HE IS TALKING
ABOUT RIGHTS AND RIGHTS
ARE THINGS THAT BELONG TO US
LEGAL RIGHTS, LEGAL EVENTS
THAT WE LAY CLAIM TO . THESE
STATEMENTS REPRESENT
STATEMENTS REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN TONE
IN IMMEDIACY AND URGENCY
AND RAISING THE BAR, RAISING
THE LEVEL OF WHAT
OUR EXPECTATIONS SHOULD BE.
BUT PROFESSOR REED SAYS BECAUSE
THE COMMENTS CAME IN A
DOCUMENTARY, DON'T EXPECT TO SEE
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO FORMALLY
FOLLOW SUIT ANYTIME SOON.
>> IS THE CHEF TEACHING BECAUSE
OF THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S BEEN
SPOKE? THE MODE OF SPEECH WAS
VERY CAREFULLY CHOSEN AS A WAY
OF SIGNALING THAT HEY, I'M NOT
REALLY CHANGING CHURCH
TELEVISION DOCUMENTARIES, NOT
FORMAL CHURCH TEACHING. SO HOW
SHOULD A CATHOLIC ABSORB THIS?
I THINK IT'S A CALL TO CATHOLICS
TO SHAKE THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS
IN A CERTAIN WAY TO BE WELCOMED
IN THE OPEN. I THINK
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOULD
AND EVENTUALLY WILL MOVE TOWARD
A GENERALIZED ACCEPTANCE OF SAME
SEX UNIONS. BUT THAT'S A LONG
PROCESS AND THIS THIS DOES NOT
DO THAT. DO YOU THINK IT'S HE'S
TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR TO THAT
PROCESS? ABSOLUTELY
PROCESS? ABSOLUTELY >>. THIS THIS IS THE BEGINNING
OF WHAT THE POPE WOULD CALL
DIABLE. AND YOU BEGIN DIALOG BY
SAYING SOMETHING CONTROVERSIAL.
YOU PUT IT OUT THERE AND YOU
HOPE PEOPLE RESPOND. PROFESSOR
REED SAYS CONSERVATIVES IN THE
CHURCH ARE ALREADY PUSHING BACK
AND DEMANDING CLARIFICATION.
BUT HE SAYS MORE AND MORE HAVE
BEGUN WELCOMING SAME SEX COUPLES
EVEN IF FORMAL DOCTRINE HAS YET
TO MOVE
TO MOVE
TO MOVE >>. HISTORICALLY, PRACTICE MOVES
FOR PRACTICING CATHOLICS ARE IN
SAME SEX UNIONS, GO TO CHURCH,
RECEIVE THE SACRAMENTS AND THIS
IS DONE IN PRACTICE IN THE
NUMBER PARISHES AND A NUMBER
OF DIOCESES. AND THE POPE IS
SAYING, WELL , IT'S ALL RIGHT BY
ME. WE SEE THIS MOVEMENT IN THE
>> BECAUSE THESE COMMENTS CAME
IN A DOCUMENTARY. THERE IS
SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHEN EXACTLY
THE POPE MADE THESE COMMENTS
AND EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANT. AS
I MENTIONED IN . THERE ARE SOME
ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH THAT REALLY WANT
TO HAVE SOME OF THIS
CLARIFICATION BECAUSE THEY SAY
IT CLEARLY CONTRADICTS WHAT
THEIR DOCTRINE IS. OF COURSE,
THAT APPEARS TO BE THAT KIND
OF CONVERSATION THAT THE POPE
WANTS TO START HAVING. YEAH,
AND THAT WILL BE INTERESTING
TO SEE HOW THAT UNPACKS,
ESPECIALLY OUTSIDE OF THE US
BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE
PEOPLE REALLY ASK QUESTIONS
OF THE POPE OR DEMAND THE POPE
SAY SOMETHING. SO THAT'LL BE
INTERESTING TO WATCH
AND DOCTRINE OR NOT CANCE
THE COMMENTS WERE ABOUT CIVIL
UNIONS FOR SAME SEX COUPLES. DID
THE POPE DRAW A LINE OR SAY
ANYTHING ABOUT SAME SEX
MARRIAGE?
MARRIAGE?
MARRIAGE? >> WELL , HE HAS DRAWN A LINE
IN THIS IN THE PAST. IN FACT,
ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT HE
WENT ON RECORD BEFORE HE WAS
POPE TALKING ABOUT SAME SEX
CIVIL UNIONS WAS ACTUALLY
IN DRAWING A LINE BETWEEN
THAT SAME SEX MARRIAGE, WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT HE OPPOSED AND IT
DOES APPEAR THAT BECAUSE
THE DOCTRINE IS STILL AGAINST
THAT AND SAYS THAT MARRIAGE,
TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE, AT