Will conservatives soften their stance after the Pope’s strong position on LGBTQ?

Pope Francis making headlines after reaffirming his backing for the LGBTQ community. He has retaliated against his detractors, calling their opposition to his decision to permit priests to bless gay people a display of “hypocrisy.”

The facts

Last month, a Vatican document known as Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust) authorized LGBT blessings, but the Catholic Church has strongly opposed it, especially African bishops.

The Pope clarified that he did not mean Catholic bishops should bless unions between couples of the same sex but the individuals who request it. He emphasized that the blessings should not be given in liturgical context.

According to him, the primary purpose of the rule is to “show the closeness of the Lord and the Church”; This was done by encouraging people who find themselves in different situations to be able to seek help to “continue – sometimes to begin – a journey of faith”.

Pope Francis, who has hit back at critics, believes that people seem to categorize misbehaviour and select what they want or find tolerable.

“Nobody gets scandalised if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps exploits people, and this is a very grave sin. But they get scandalised if I give them to a homosexual. This is hypocrisy,” Francis told Italian Catholic magazine Credere.

He said no one, irrespective of their status should be denied blessings. Additionally, he is reported to have said he “always” welcomes divorcees who have remarried and LGBT persons to the sacrament of confession.

A large number of the American conservative Catholics had strong doubts about Pope Francis’ ability to lead. The group said they were disappointed. There were those who responded angrily while others had thoughts of resigning.

The arguments

The Argentina-born said one of his main goals as Pope is making the Catholic Church more accepting and less judgmental. He is well-known for having replied, “Who am I to judge?” in response to a question regarding homosexuality at the start of his pontificate.

Some members of the Catholic faith were of the view the decision new resolution by the Pope risks undermining the Church’s moral teachings.

Another fraction opined that no one, regardless of their status should be denied blessings emphasizing that if blessings were limited to perfection then no one deserve it.

African Bishops, from a continent where homosexuality is frowned on in most regions, also resisted the Fiducia Supplicans. They said it cannot be used without sparking controversy. In several African countries, homosexuality is punishable by lengthy prison sentences or worst case scenario, the death penalty.

But the Pope in an believes critics of his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples as individuals would eventually understand it. He, however, said Africans were a “special case” when it comes to homosexuality because the resistance is embedded in cultural laws that oppose it.

“But in general, I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not divide,” the pope said as quoted by Reuters.

Although Pope Francis supports the Fiducia Supplicans, he has also acknowledged criticism of the doctrine, stating that, for example, priests should consider local sensitivities when bestowing blessings.

Furthermore, he emphasized that these blessings do not equate to official Church endorsement of same-sex relationships.

The Catholic Church maintains same-sex attraction is not sinful. The faith, however, teaches that gay sex is sinful and disordered, and encourages those who practice it should strive to be chaste.

Given the Pope’s clarification of blessing LGBTQ members, are conservatives and African bishops likely to budge now?