What’s not to like about a pope who lets a little kid hang out in his chair during mass, celebrates his birthday with three homeless men and their dog and accidentally drops Italian f-bombs while addressing huge crowds?

Surprisingly little, according to a Pew Research study published earlier this month. As the pontiff approached one year in the Vatican, eight out of ten surveyed Catholics said they have a favorable view of the Argentinian pope.

Francis’ first year has largely been characterized by rhetoric rather than action, as he subtly pushes the perception of the Catholic Church away from an emphasis on black-and-white stances on hot-button topics. But words aren’t cheap in the case of the Pontiff — his recent comments in a series of interviews with foreign newspapers earlier this month pave the way for a meaningful reevaluation of the church’s relationship with its female and LGBT followers.

For example, Francis made headlines by calling on church leaders to explore civil unions.

Contrary to gut reaction, this doesn’t herald an immediate shake-up in the church. A March 5 article from The Advocate points out that Francis didn’t waver in his belief that marriage exists between a man and a woman or even endorse the idea of civil unions. He simply admitted that new possibilities deserve the church’s consideration.

His willingness to look at a more than 2,000-year-old institution with modern eyes is the bigger news. And it’s more than welcome.

Similarly, Francis commented in the interview that the church should further investigate the role of women, opining that women should have a greater presence in decision-making processes within the church.

Theologians jumped on the statement, suggesting women could soon be incorporated into the Vatican bureaucracy or could take new roles as advisers — or equals — to the high-ranking Cardinals. Francis himself didn’t expand.

In some ways, the comments seem frustratingly vague and more likely to prompt speculation than concrete change. But their importance in laying a foundation for reform should not be downplayed.

Francis’ professed desire to consider anew the experiences his women and LGBT followers mark an open-mindedness that the church as an institution has largely failed to express in years past. It’s refreshing to see.

Likewise, his dedication to viewing the church from a new and modern perspective is admirable. For example, in an unusual move in November, his Vatican assigned bishops worldwide to gather information from their dioceses in preparation for a major October 2014 meeting on family life.

What, specifically, did he want to know? Religion News Service reported in November that questions addressed a hardly-Catholic collection of topics — divorced or remarried Catholics, cohabitating couples, gay couples and views on the church’s ban of artificial contraception.

Within the context of the staunchly traditional and change-averse Catholic Church, it’s possible that no real change affecting female or LGBT followers will come in Francis’ second, third or even fifteenth year as pontiff.

This would be frustrating for many Catholics and even non-Catholics. But so long as Francis’ values of open-mindedness and sensitivity to all its followers continue, at least the church will be headed in the right direction.

Nicki Gorny is a junior newspaper and online journalism and Spanish major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Nicki_Gorny. 

Published on March 19, 2014 at 12:33 am