Among the broadcast television networks, Univision stands out as the only one that provided a thorough report on Pope Francis’ most explicit statement to date on the incompatibility of a 'gay pride' lifestyle and the Catholic priesthood.
The nation’s leading Spanish-language media outlet, along with its English-language sister network newscast UNews, both provided extensive reports on comments made by Pope Francis in a new book, in which the preeminent Pastor of the Catholic Church states that “We have to urge homosexual priests, and men and women religious to live celibacy with integrity, and above all, that they be impeccably responsible, trying to never scandalize either their communities or the faithful holy people of God by living a double life.”
While Univision stood out in its reporting of the issue of active homosexuality in the priesthood, which is responsible for the overwhelming majority of the sexual abuse scandals that have plagued the Church in recent decades, the network’s coverage was less than accurate when it tried to frame the Pope’s remarks as somehow totally incompatible with his “Who am I to judge?” quote made in 2013 while discussing the alleged homosexual scandal surrounding Monsignor Battista Ricca.
The otherwise standout reporting by Univision featured liberal Protestant theologian, Daniel Álvarez.
DANIEL ÁLVAREZ, PROFESSOR, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: It seems to me that the Pope has taken a position, has assumed a much tougher position, where homosexuals are concerned, and his words to me seem, they look a lot like the words of Benedict XVI when he spoke about homosexualism in the priesthood as a disorder, that is to say like a psychological disorder or a spiritual disorder.
VILMA TARAZONA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: The Spanish missionary who included the interview with the Pontiff in this book he just published says that Pope Francis is concerned about the homosexuals who are in the clergy and seminaries, and he is asking those responsible for recruiting candidates for the priesthood to keep their eyes open to prevent their entry.
ÁLVAREZ: In other words, what I’m hearing from this Pope is that we are going to stop, that is to say, if we can’t do anything about the homosexual priests that are already ordained and that are already serving the Church, but in the future we are going to try to prevent homosexual seminarians from making it to priestly ministry.
In contrast, neither ABC, CBS nor Telemundo even reported the news, while they all notably celebrated this past summer when Pope Francis was viewed as making a major ‘pro gay’ “God made you like that” statement to the Chilean victim of an active homosexual priest.
NBC Nightly News, on the other hand, did devote a scant 19 seconds December 2 to the Pope’s latest comments, underscoring the Supreme Pontiff’s position that “gay priests should stay celibate or leave the ministry, rather than lead a double life.”
Below is the transcript of the above-referenced segment in its entirety, as broadcast during the December 4, 2018 edition of Noticiero Univisión:
JORGE RAMOS, NEWS ANCHOR, UNIVISION: A recent declaration of Pope Francis is getting a lot of attention. The Pontiff said that homosexuality has no place in the Church, and for many this indicates a different position to what he previously had on this subject. Vilma Tarazona brings us what the Pontiff said five years ago and what he just said.
POPE FRANCIS: In nomen Domini benedictum
VILMA TARAZONA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Pope Francis surprised with his statements about homosexualism in the Church. He said in an interview with this Spanish missionary priest, Fernando Prado, that homosexuality is fashionable and that mentality has no place in the Church.
POPE: (in Italian, with on-camera captions): I would say first to pray…
VILMA: For this theologian, this is a clear change of position by Pope Francis, since five years ago he said that it was not up to him to judge homosexuals.
DANIEL ÁLVAREZ, PROFESSOR, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: It seems to me that the Pope has taken a position, has assumed a much harder position, where homosexuals are concerned, and his words to me seem, they look a lot like the words of Benedict XVI when he spoke about homosexualism in the priesthood as a disorder, that is to say like a psychological disorder or a spiritual disorder.
TARAZONA: The Spanish missionary who included the interview with the Pontiff in this book he just published says that Pope Francis is concerned about the homosexuals who are in the clergy and seminaries, and he is asking those responsible for recruiting candidates for the priesthood to keep their eyes open to prevent their entry.
ÁLVAREZ: In other words, what I’m hearing from this Pope is that we are going to stop, that is to say, if we can’t do anything about the homosexual priests that are already ordained and that are already serving the Church, but in the future we are going to try to prevent homosexual seminarians from making it to priestly ministry.
TARAZONA: For Daniel Alvarez, this change in the Pope´s position is due to pressures from the right in the Church.
ÁLVAREZ: I fear that the Pope, perhaps to save his papacy, feels that he has to move much more to the center, if not the center-right of the Church.
TARAZONA: Some theologians believe that this is also a response from Pope Francis to those who have accused him of protecting pedophile priests. In Miami, Florida. Vilma Tarazona.
