“If someone is gay and searches for God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?”
That is what Pope Francis said, July 2013 to the media as they were on their way back to the Vatican after the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Coming from the Roman Catholic Pontiff himself, it proves that love is for everyone, regardless of which gender preference you choose. To love and be loved is as basic as our birthrights, it does not know boundaries, knows no distance or colour, nor race. Love is absolute. Even the bible says that love does not discriminate.
While our society is open to the idea of our LGBT community embracing love, our brothers and sisters waving the rainbow flag high and might have nothing but love but the society that we have are not keen on giving them the kind of union that they clamour for.
The same-sex union will have to wait longer for our society to fully accept even if the highest leader of the dominant religion in the country has already placed his stand on the controversial issue.
Love conquers all – and this proves to be true for same-sex couples who battled the odds just to be together. We all heard of stories of LGBT couples going against the will of their families because they do not approve of the relationships, but eventually living their happily ever after somewhere else, with the person they choose to love. We all know of local and international celebrities who are very open to talking about their union with their partners and became keen advocates of gender equality, saying that “love is love.”
But all the more, let us look at how Pope Francis led by example. Not that we wanted to take the very religious path in asserting the diversity of love, but don’t we all find it amazing that the leader of the Roman Catholic church himself accepts the LGBT community? Doesn’t it inspire us all to embrace our LGBT brothers and sisters to let them love freely?
Pope Francis himself knows that times are changing and that the religious should also adapt to it. Not only does he know that times are changing but he reaches out to the community itself, inviting LGBT leaders for a dialogue in the Vatican. The Pontiff extends his respect by means of opening the doors of the Vatican to the LGBT, making them feel accepted, welcomed, and loved – something that did not happen in the previous years.
Imagine a Pontiff going the extra mile to lead by example in showing love for the community that has been discriminated against, hated, abused, and outcasted for so many years – that alone is something for us to ponder on how we could emulate.
Let this quote coming from Pope Francis be a reminder for our LGBT brothers and sisters to just love your heart away, let no one stop you from expressing what your heart truly desires:
“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to be in a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it.”
Feel loved and spread the love!
