On March 15^th the Vatican released a statement that said that the Catholic Church would not bless same sex unions. This statement was approved by Pope Francis and that came as a shock to many Catholics who believed him to be more progressive. The church explained this decision in a lengthy note where they referred to same sex unions as a “choice,”  and described them as sinful.  News of this announcement immediately began trending on Twitter where LGBTQ Catholics lashed out  to share their disappointment upon hearing the news. One such person was IU Junior Nick Falter who voiced his disappointment online. Nick is a member of the LGBTQ community and also a confirmed member of the Catholic Church.

“There was a piece of me every time I went, I was like I don’t think I can truly be authentic. I just didn’t feel at peace and it was not because one person said one thing or another. It was just because of the overall idea. I just knew not everyone in that community would be accepting,” says Falter.

This is not the first time that Nick has been made to feel not wanted by the Catholic Church. When Nick was 14 years-old the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage and the church he grew up going to sent out a newsletter saying they didn’t support that decision.

“It was one thing that they disagreed with it, but it was another thing that they sent out a newsletter proclaiming that,” says Falter.

This caused Nick and his family to begin questioning their loyalty to the Catholic Church. This recent announcement was the last straw for Nick for he said it is clear to him and many other LGBTQ Catholics that they are not welcome in the church.

Father Dennis Woerter is a priest at St. Paul’s Catholic Center here in Bloomington and he said that the church has not abandoned the LGBTQ members of the church. He wanted to clarify that the church makes a distinction between the individual and the sin. He says that while the church acknowledges same sex civil marriages, they will not bless them.  Woerter says this announcement is nothing new but believes that the shock value comes from the fact that Pope Francis approved the announcement.

This announcement was made in response to a question that was asked on whether priests could bless same sex marriages. Early in Pope Francis’s tenure he was reported to have said many positive and progressive things about LGBTQ members of the church which many people took to mean he was on the way to making the church a much more progressive entity. This announcement has shown the LGBTQ community that even with substantial public support for same sex unions the church is still standing by its traditions. Woerter says that the church understands this reality of civil unions but stands by its principles.

“ Recognizing a reality but also standing firm for its traditional teaching on marriage and family,” says Woerter.

This announcement has made many young Catholics like Falter sad for the present but hopeful that when their generations begin to lead the church things will change. To find more information on this topic you can visit Vaticanews.VA.