Lithuanian politicians responded to the Pope’s words: who expressed support and who began to flip

The fact that the Pope supported same-sex civil unions when speaking to the makers of the new documentary Francesco should come as no surprise to those who had at least some experience of Pope Francis’ life: same-sex marriages, though not as open support from him as Pope was heard.

“Homosexuals have the right to have a family. They are children of God, Francis said in an interview with the filmmakers.” We just need to have a civil union law for their relationships to be legalized.

Specific and cautious support

The clearest support for the pope’s message was expressed by the leader of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.

“Great news. I believe that the Association Law presented by me in 2017 will now really receive support in the Seimas, and the opponents will not try to be” holier than the Pope, “said the politician.

Aušrinė Armonaitė, who leads the Freedom Party in the elections, also praised the Pope’s message and, since Wednesday, party fans have seen Francis’s words as almost a sign of support for a pro-couples policy. homosexuals.

Politicians “holier than the Pope” are said to be now being accused of covering up the Catholic Church’s opposition to homosexuals. A. Armonaitė herself linked her entry on her Facebook account to the story of Ausma Sakauskaitė, a member of Kalvarija’s party.

“The Church has never been and never will be a target of the Freedom Party. It is a community that unites, supports, gives peace, helps those who need it. Freedom of conscience is an important value that must be protected. The reaction of some representatives of the Catholic Church to the Freedom Party, its good electoral performance and ideas, is disappointing.

Today, bernardinai.lt saw a text on how believers will now have to disagree with our “destructive ideas”, but will also be able to “not lose love for the person who offers them.” How it will be an easy task. What closure and rejection! Please understand that there are no believers among the voters, members and leaders of the Freedom Party that believers cannot think liberally and globally.

Another very sad news also appeared today. Our only Kalvarija member Ausma Sakalauskaitė, who does not hide her homosexuality and has so far successfully played the organ at the Šventežeris Church Mass, is no longer desirable for the pastor. That decision was made after his electoral video clip. In other words, the man, because of his personal life and his political views, no longer has a place in the community that in himself should declare openness.

And the greatest paradox is that Pope Francis’ opinion that same-sex couples should have the opportunity to form a society is heard today in the main media of the world. The moment you try to be holier than the Pope and close the door to another. And perhaps the only hope is that there are people in the Church who want to listen to the Pope, change him and open him to everyone.

Reserve’s support for Pope Francis’ words was also voiced by Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, who said it was based on the “establishment of legal relationships” between homogeneous couples.

“Let’s talk about the legal concept of association and the legal regulation of the relationship between these people. I have never hidden it and have constantly said that the legal relationships of these people, when it comes to the exchange of property and information, must be legally regulated, ”S. Skvernelis told reporters on Thursday. The prime minister commented on the regulation of legal relationships for LGBT + community couples after Pope Francis spoke on Wednesday in favor of same-sex civil unions.

However, the prime minister said that his support for the regulation of legal relationships did not mean legitimizing the institute of associations. “I am not in favor of legitimizing the association institute, I am in favor of giving legal status to those who decide to live together so that they have full civil rights in terms of their representation, inheritance, information, etc.”, said the prime minister.

Accused of distorting words and satanism

At the time, other politicians did not hide their hostility towards the message itself, which was simply an interpretation, simply the words of a pontiff spoken in private in a documentary that had nothing to do with the official position of the Catholic Church.

Egidijus Vareikis, a longtime Seimas member who did not attend the elections with the Union of Christian Families and was not elected, initially attacked the lrt.lt portal, claiming he had misinterpreted the pope’s statement.

“When I still had the opportunity to teach communication to students, I recommended reading texts like this very carefully and answering the question if their authors should be considered small and understood that it is not a small writing but propaganda.

Perhaps the short letters of LRT.LT shortened the name and removed the word “civil”. The Pope has endorsed civil union, but without that word you can think that he is in favor of marriage. It is clear that the less attentive or less informed reader will not realize this, because it is still completely a lie that the Pope is talking about the possibility of forming families (especially since elsewhere in the text it is written that the Pope is talking about ALTERNATIVE to same-sex marriage and family), ”said E. Vareikis.

He also affirmed that social collaboration is only a male friendship, that “today no one prohibits any economic and social community of one sex and does not know why it should be prohibited.”

“We consider the social campaign of Darius and Girėnas” Flight over the Atlantic “as a heroism, but we do not offer them to formalize their activities as a marriage,” said E. Vareikis. Later, in his comments, he tried to show that “the Lithuanian media publishes what the Pope does not publish”, although the words of the next documentary were translated, and then he began to show that the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania already enshrines civil society . same-sex couples.

In the comments after the recording of E. Vareikis, another actor appeared who was pushed aside from politics: a former priest, a former member of the Seimas and its leader Jonas Varkala, who this year tried to enter the Seimas with the “Camino del Courage”.

He even shared articles several times about Pope Francis’ call for a civil society for homosexuals. It is true that most of Mr. Varkala’s own post-recording comments were particularly negative and offensive. “The Pope is a Satanist”, “a pedophile”, “Lucifer decided,” Varkala’s followers said, and the politician himself shared, without comment, references to articles, comments and cartoons that mocked the Pope.