Well, we haven’t been able to escape the pope this week. He’s been all over the news, of course, what with his visit to the U.S. He received a 21 gun salute this week at the White House, has been to every major city, provided communions at many masses, and has undoubtedly spread his love of god to all his peeps. He spoke at the United Nation’s General Assembly this week as well. He told The Assembly that authentic human rights are rooted in the dignity of the human person made in God’s image, and thus cannot be limited by any state, religion or majority rule. He emphasized the obligation of the international community to intervene to protect fundamental rights. “It is evident, though, that the rights recognized and expounded in the declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high-point of God’s creative design for the world and for history,” he said.  ”They are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in different cultures and civilizations. Removing human rights from this context would mean restricting their range and yielding to a relativistic conception, according to which the meaning and interpretation of rights could vary and their universality would be denied in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks.” 

What is fascinating, and thus making him the Homophobe of the Week here at blurbberry, is the complete disconnect between this supposed fundamental right for everyone to live humanely and freely and his disregard and outright disgust for queers around the world. He has said, ”Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Pastoral attention should be directed toward those who have this condition, lest they be led to believe that the living-out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option. It is not.” 

Not surprising, then, he has strongly opposed queer rights, not just in Italy, but around the world. He has scolded every country, region, city, and so forth for putting forward any type of domestic partnership, civil union, or marriage bill. He recently went as far as to warn Columbia that if they moved forward with their plan to grant queer couples some basic cohabiting rights, that the Church will not offer communions anymore to members of the Colombian government.

Of course, Pope Benedict has every right to attempt to interfere. But, really, don’t come to the U.N., and say things like, “It is evident, though, that the rights recognized and expounded in the (U.N.) declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high-point of God’s creative design for the world and for history.” Don’t suggest that authentic human rights are rooted in the dignity of the human person made in God’s image, and thus cannot be limited by any state, religion or majority rule. It’s just wrong, and hypocritical. 

I’m not alone with this thinking, of course. Others believe similarly. IPSNews reported, “Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the New Ways Ministry, said that the fact that gays and lesbians are ostracised from the Catholic Church is a clear violation of their human rights. (Said DeBernardo) ”This Pope has had a terrible record of making harmful statements against gay and lesbian people. We think he should have offered a gesture and met with ministries of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered] Catholics… He should come and listen to perspectives that differ from his own.” 

To his benefit, though, his recent remarks finally disconnected pedophilia from homosexuality: “I would not speak at this moment about homosexuality, but paedophilia which is another thing.” But, he still thinks both are evil. Oh well. 

You can read more about the Pope at Religious Left Us here.