When Pope Francis visited the U.S., he caused quite the stir with all major news channels covering his every move. The vast amount of coverage was strange, considering only 20.8 percent of Americans considered themselves Catholic in 2014, according to Pew.
Even though Francis is viewed as a liberal darling, he’s actually far from it. In contrast to previous popes, he might be the most practical. But what’s being hailed as progressive from the pope is actually more in line with conservative or moderate policy in the U.S.
There’s a fascination with Francis that is different from those who preceded him, primarily because he’s considered different. And in some ways, he is. He supported the idea of civil unions for gay couples in 2010. But a civil union isn’t a marriage.
Most of his reforms are common sense. For instance, he has supported the right of mothers to breastfeed in the Sistine Chapel. Whenever you’re creating an event that’s specifically for babies, such as a baptism, it makes sense to allow breastfeeding.
Because he’s the pope, people have a very low standard of what is considered "liberal."
While he’s advised Catholics to think more about how many children they’re having, he hasn’t outright accepted contraception. Some may think this is just an issue of ideology that doesn’t have any real world consequences. That’s just not true.
The Catholic Church has a great deal of influence, and their opposition to the use of condoms has contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.
This year, he also declared that women who have had abortions can and ought to be forgiven. While his slight reforms are better than nothing, they still leave much to be desired. If a democrat exhibited the same behaviors as Francis, he would not be cheered on. In fact, he would be decried as not doing enough to ensure equality.
Although the Vatican contends that the pope’s meeting with Kim Davis was not about supporting her position, it is easy to see it that way. After all, it’s hard to believe the Vatican did not know how politically charged such a meeting would be. Even though he also met with a gay couple during his visit, in my opinion, his meeting with Davis tainted his entire trip to the U.S.
While the pope may not fit neatly into American political categories, everything he does concerning issues of marriage, abortion and contraception is inherently political simply because of the position he occupies as a leader. Francis has made statements about not judging LGBTQ+ people, but the fact that the church continues to exclude them speaks for itself. Just last week, a high ranking priest was fired for coming out as gay. This makes it clear that while the Pope is OK with gay people in principle, they are unacceptable within the ranks of the Vatican. Exclusion within the church continues, whether it’s for women or LGBTQ+ individuals who want positions of power within the Catholic Church.
It’s great the pope is willing to embrace a gay man and forgive abortions for the time being. But that should not be heralded as revolutionary. While his small reforms are better than nothing, Francis should not be considered above criticism. Toleration is not enough. Acceptance is the ultimate goal.
Nicole Dan is a UF political science sophomore. Her column appears on Mondays.
