I’m a 75-year-old, ex-Catholic, agnostic atheist and a lifelong homosexual writing in reply to the article on Pope Francis and homosexuality in the April 25 Sun Journal.

It was reported there that although the late pope endeavored to make the church more welcoming of LGBTQ+ Catholics, he nonetheless upheld the traditional teaching that homosexual activity is always “intrinsically disordered.”

Two inferences flow from that teaching — necessarily. First, Catholics who engage in such activity gravely imperil their eternal salvation unless they repent. Second, for that reason, the clergy is divinely obligated to help them live without sex. What did Pope Francis do during the course of his papacy in fulfillment of that obligation?

According to the article, the pope established warm relations with the U.S.-based gay advocacy group GLADD and the self-described Catholic organization New Ways Ministry. Be it noted that NWM, along with two other leading gay Catholic organizations, Outreach and DignityUSA, adamantly reject the traditional teaching, viewing their sexuality as a gift of God.

Now, did the pope ever encourage members of those groups to accept that teaching? No; contrarily, he authorized the blessing of presumably sexually active gay couples.

There’s one Catholic support group, however, that does accept the teaching: Courage International. Did the pope ever single it out for praise on that account, present it to the world as authentically Catholic, as was his obvious duty? No, never.

But then, Pope Francis was nothing if not forward-looking.

William LaRochelle
Lewiston