Once again Pope Francis is being “used” by those in favor of promoting the same-sex lifestyle.
The latest case arose this morning following news of a letter sent by an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State to the author of children’s books that promote “different family types.”
The Guardian reported the letter with the headline, “Pope Francis sends letter praising gay children’s book.”
What actually happened is that, as customary, the Secretariat of State responded to a letter sent to the Pope.
The letter in question was sent by author Francesca Prandi, along with her books, which had been used in schools in Venice. One of the books is called Piccolo uovo [Small Egg] and it is the story of a penguin with “two fathers.” The new mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, later banned the use of the books in schools.
The small books were published by Lo Stampatello, a Publishing House founded by Prandi together with her partner Maria Silvia Fiengo.
Last June, Prandi wrote to the Pontiff, introducing herself as part of a “family made up of two mothers and four children,” illustrating the content of her publications and affirming that in it there was “not even the shadow of that gender theory of which I would be the principal instrument.”
After having criticized Catholics committed in the defense of the natural family (in those days working on the preparation of Family Day in Saint John’s Square), the author asked the Holy Father: “Many Catholics give us the same respect, why can’t we have it from the hierarchies of the Church?”
The missive ended with the hope, on the part of the LGBT activist, of “a Church that is not fundamentalist and inhuman as we have known it in other historical epochs.”
According to what the Corriere del Veneto reported today (regional edition of the Corriere della Sera), Prandi said she had received an answer from Bergoglio, who, she said, communicated: “I hope you will go ahead.” And she added: “He imparted his blessing to me.”
A few hours later, a clarification was made by the vice director of the Vatican press office, Father Ciro Benedettini, in an interview with Tempi. He explained that, as is well known, it is not unusual and, in fact it is customary that the Secretariat of State respond to letters sent to the Pope.
The courtesy should not be seen as an encouragement to LGBT theory, he said.
The official reply on the part of the Holy See followed, in which Father Benedettini himself, describing the tones of Prandi’s letter as “respectful and educated,” confirmed a reply letter had been sent, signed by the councillor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Monsignor Peter Brian Wells. He specified that “it was a private answer and, therefore, not destined for publication (something that unfortunately happened).”
“In no way does the letter of the Secretariat of State intend to endorse behavior and teachings that are not consonant with the Gospel,” continued Father Benedettini, stressing on the contrary the Holy See’s hopes for “an ever more profitable activity at the service of the young generations and of the spread of authentic human and Christian values.”
The Vatican spokesman then added that “the Pope’s blessing at the end of the letter is to the person and not to eventual teachings not in line with the doctrine of the Church on gender theory, which in no way has changed, as the Holy Father has confirmed many times including recently. Therefore, the exploitation of the content of the letter is altogether out of place,” he concluded.
Subsequently a partial denial arrived from Prandi. The author of the booklets on gender retracted that the Pope wrote to her: “Go ahead.” She also denied that Francis’ reply is “an opening,” although she described it as “a change of tone in the confrontation. We are restored in the respect that we deserve, as persons and as family,” she said.
