Ray Mariano: Where's the love and compassion, Bishop McManus?

A sports team can add one or two star players to its roster and instantly change the direction of the team. A business can add a new product or technology that quickly changes its course.

But the Catholic Church is not a sports franchise or Fortune 500 company. Change comes to the church only after decades of reflection and even then maybe not. In 1965, Vatican II produced what most scholars consider to be the most significant changes in the history of Catholicism since the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. Change comes to the church ever so slowly.

Try thinking of it this way. Imagine you are the captain of one of the world’s largest ocean liners. Your ship is in the middle of the ocean with high seas crashing against your vessel. Now you want to turn the massive ship around and head in the opposite direction, a daunting task even without the turbulent seas.

Oh, I forgot to mention that while you are trying to change course, a group of people are stubbornly hanging onto the helm trying to keep it going in its original direction.

Pope Francis

When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elevated to pope in 2013, I was hopeful. It was clear from the beginning that Pope Francis was interested in a more inclusive and loving church.

In a major change within the church, Francis appointed women as full members of Vatican dicasteries, a role previously reserved for cardinals and some bishops.

The pope also made international headlines in the way he talked about LGBTQ+ members of the church community. From his very first press conference, Francis tried to change the way the Catholic Church handles the issue of homosexuality. Responding to a question about gay priests, Francis was clear: “We shouldn’t marginalize people for this…If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?

If you were listening at the time you could hear the gasps of disapproval from those in the church who love nothing more than to judge.

From the start of his papacy, some bishops in America began working against their new pope pulling on the helm and resisting any change in direction. In Texas, one bishop’s outward attacks on the pope’s approach were unrelenting and so strident that it caused the unusual response of having him removed.

In a broader response to American bishops who resisted change, the pope blasted the bishops as “reactionary.” “I want to remind these people that backwardism is useless, and it is necessary to understand that there is a correct evolution in the understanding of questions of faith and morals.”

Blessing of same-sex couples

Slowly, Francis has moved the church toward a more loving and compassionate relationship with members of the LGBTQ+ community. In a landmark ruling, Francis approved of priests administering blessings to same-sex couples. The pope was clear that these blessings should not be confused with heterosexual marriage and could not be part of regular church rituals or liturgies. Nevertheless, the pope’s message was that these blessings were a clear indication that God welcomes all.

Father James Martin, a prominent American Jesuit priest who ministers to the LGBTQ+ community, called the pope’s actions “a major step forward… (the blessing) recognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships.”

Closer to home, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, leader of the Archdiocese of Boston, applauded the pope’s action. “We thank the Holy Father for his love and care of all of the people in the flock.” O’Malley went on to point out that the pope had not endorsed same-sex marriage “but has recognized all Catholics, including those whose unions are not recognized by the church, as equally in need of God’s grace and love.”

Bishop McManus responds

O’Malley’s response of love and inclusion stands in stark contrast to the response of Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worcester. In a coldly worded message, McManus emphasized that Francis’ ruling did not grant a power to impart a liturgical blessing on same-sex couples. McManus said the pope’s ruling “reaffirmed that the church does not have the power to impart a liturgical blessing on irregular or same-sex couples or to bless their union.”

McManus went on to minimize the historic nature of the pope’s ruling by pointing out that priests can offer a blessing “that can be conferred on anyone.”

I’ve read all of the documents published by the Worcester Diocese relating the bishop’s position on this subject. It’s not that the documents or public statements are technically inconsistent with the pope’s ruling. It’s just that they are presented without even a hint of love or compassion. Nothing in the bishop’s statement welcomes members of the LGBTQ+ community into the church or would lead them to believe that they are accepted by the church.

This is not the first time that McManus has gone out of his way to let members of the LGBTQ+ community know that they are not welcomed. And I’m afraid it won’t be the last. But I have to ask: Where’s the love and compassion, bishop?

Francis has a message for people like McManus. “Those who approach the church should find the doors open and not find people who want to control the faith.”

I don’t present myself as a religious scholar. But as a practicing Catholic, my advice to McManus is simple: Take your hand off of the helm and let the pope steer the ship. He knows where the church needs to go.

Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com. He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee. He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University. He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority. His column appears weekly in the Sunday Telegram. His endorsements do not necessarily reflect the position of the Telegram & Gazette.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Ray Mariano on Pope Francis, LGBTQ couples, Bishop Robert McManus