In Uganda, an opportunity for Pope Francis to act on his words
Back in late February, when Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed anti-homosexuality legislation into law, it wasn't clear how members of the country's Roman Catholic hierarchy would respond.
The Ugandan Catholic hierarchy opposed the original 2009 draft of the bill because it proposed the death penalty for some same-sex acts. But once that provision was removed, they did not condemn it.
In late January, a new movement called No More Triangle Nations was created to encourage Pope Francis to speak out against these laws. The initiative urges Twitter users to employ the hashtag #PopeSpeakOut to ask Pope Francis to condemn anti-LGBT legislation not only in Nigeria and Uganda, but Russia, Jamaica and India as well. New Ways Ministries and Call to Action are part of the coalition.
This situation brings to the forefront the ongoing debate among progressive Catholics about the efficacy of the Pope Francis' kinder, gentler papacy. Some believe Francis' expressions of compassion will eventually lead to greater inclusion for LGBT Catholics while others argue that Francis' words are not substantive enough to amount to real change.
These repressive laws offer an opportunity for the pope's now-legendary "Who am I to judge?" comment to actually translate into action. No one is asking Pope Francis to change doctrine or create a revolution. We are only asking him to honor the catechism's teaching that gays and lesbians should be "accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity."
http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/uganda-opportunity-pope-francis-act-his-words
