Letters to the Editor: How Pope Francis' support for civil unions gives cover to mariage equality opponents

To the editor: This month, my loving husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary, and we are grateful for all the benefits that our marriage affords us. We are also grateful to Gov. Gavin Newsom and all those who fought for so long to make marriage equality possible, and we give no thanks to the many who fought against it.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis has caught up to the 1980s and now endorses "civil unions," or separate but not-so-equal unions.

With Judge Amy Coney Barrett about to ascend to the U.S. Supreme Court, marriage inequality advocates will surely argue for these unions as a split-the-difference alternative that's good enough in their quest to turn the clock back on equality. But how is my love any different from anyone else's?

The pope's support for same-sex civil unions is too little, too late and too sad.

John Kluge, North Hollywood

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To the editor: The pope speaks favorably about same-sex civil unions in a documentary, and The Times treats these comments as infallible pronouncements. It is as if words from members of Congress talking to journalists on the steps of the Capitol were the law of the land.

The Times frames Catholic reactions to the pope's words in a film with an ideological lens: enlightened liberals against reactionary conservatives. The article editorializes on the news.

Maria Elena de Las Carreras, Northridge

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To the editor: Pope Francis has expressed his opinion, which does not change centuries of church law.

It would be as though the president of the United States said he does not believe in the electoral college or the right of the people to bear arms. He may be the president, but his opinions do not override the Constitution.

Jim Blumel, Santa Clarita

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.