The "Amoris Laetitia" ("The Joy of Love"), an apostolic exhortation published on April 8, says that a same-sex union cannot be a marriage.

The "Amoris Laetitia" is full of double standards. The document says, "No union that is temporary or closed to the transmission of life can ensure the future of society.” But if you are straight and infertile, the rule about transmitting life does not apply. These words reconfirm the ideology of the Catholic Church, reassuring the opposition of gay marriages and the lack of acceptance of homosexual families.

Disappointment

Pope Francis has been preparing and contemplating the Catholic approach to family life for two years. The exhortation is 256 pages long and summarizes his and the Church’s views on issues including sexuality, marriage, parenting and divorce.

The document confirms the resistance of the Church, which clearly does not want to see change in society and will not change its views on LGBTI issues.

Many LGBTI people who have faith are disappointed because they do not feel accepted in any way. It is hard to be a part of a church or religious community that discriminates and condemns them and refuses to provide them a proper and safe environment in which to worship.

Empty thoughts?

Pope Francis said in his new encyclical, "The homosexual people must be respected in their dignity and welcomed with respect, with care to avoid any sign of unjust discrimination and especially all forms of aggression and violence."

These are really important words, but do they really have a meaning? The Catholic Church, by not recognizing LGBTI rights and homosexual families, and by promoting their policy against same-sex marriages, does not reform its teachings — but it does threaten the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people.