Pope Francis: ‘there is room for everyone in the Church’
Two Years ago, Pope Francis was in conversation with Jesuits at the Colégio de São João de Brito in Portugal and engaged in a Q and A session with them.
At the welcoming ceremony Pope Francis said
“We are all called to the Church ‘as we are’.
He went on to say ‘there is room for everyone in the Church
Pope Francis continued:
I believe there is no question that the call is addressed to everyone.
Jesus is very clear about this.
The invited guests did not want to come to the banquet.So he sent out into the streets to invite everyone.
To be clear, Jesus said, “The healthy and the sick, the righteous and the sinners—everyone.”
In other words, everyone is welcome in the church, and everyone has their own space.
How will each person live it out?
We help people live in a way that allows them to occupy that place with maturity. This applies to all kinds of people.
I know a priest in Rome who works with young homosexuals.
Clearly, the issue of homosexuality is very prevalent today, and sensitivity to it varies according to historical circumstances.
In general, I dislike that we examine the so-called “sin of the flesh” under a microscope, just as we have done for so long with the sixth commandment.
It didn’t matter if you exploited workers or lied and cheated; instead, sins below the waist were relevant.
So, everyone is invited. That’s the point.
The most appropriate pastoral attitude must be applied to each person.
We must not be superficial and naive, forcing people to engage in behaviors for which they are not yet mature or capable.
Accompanying people spiritually and pastorally requires a great deal of sensitivity and creativity.
Remember that everyone is called to live in the Church.
Taking a cue from your question, I would like to address another issue concerning transgender people.
A Charles de Foucauld sister named Sister Geneviève attends the Wednesday general audiences.
She is in her eighties and is a chaplain at the Circus in Rome with two other sisters.
They live in a mobile home next to the circus.
One day, I went to visit them.
They have a small chapel and a kitchen. The sleeping area is well organized.
That nun also works extensively with transgender individuals.
One day, she asked, “Can I bring them to the audience?”
“Sure!” Why not?”
Groups of trans people come all the time.
The first time they came, they were crying.
I asked them why.
One of them told me, “I didn’t think the Pope would receive me!”
After the initial surprise, they made a habit of coming.
Some wrote to me, and I emailed them back.
Everyone is invited!
I realized that these people feel rejected, and it’s really hard.