The Vatican's official statement refusing to bless same-sex unions was unsurprising, but incredibly disappointing.
The particularly harsh statement, approved by Pope Francis, ascertained that "since blessings on persons are in relationship with the sacraments, the blessing of homosexual unions cannot be considered licit" and that God "does not and cannot bless sin."
But Elton John, an extremely vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community who has been open about his sexuality for decades called out the Vatican's notable hypocrisy on where they put their money versus their public statements.
Rocketman, a biopic of John starring Taron Egerton, received millions of dollars from the Vatican ($4.5 million, to be exact) to finish production.
The film makes no secret of John's sexuality, depicting his marriage to David Furnish honestly.
The Vatican's statement comes as somewhat of a surprise after several years of Pope Francis being deemed one of the most progressive Popes in charge of the Catholic Church in recent memory.
The Argentine Pope has contradicted former Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II's stances on homosexuality, who called it an "intrinsic evil" and an "affront to Christian values" respectively.
"Pray. Don't condemn," Francis said of parents to homosexual children.
"And if you, as a father or mother, can't deal with this on your own, ask for help, but always in dialogue, always in dialogue. Because that son and daughter has a right to family, and their family is this family, just as it is."
The Vatican's financial investments and its official statements do not match, as John's situation has shown.
As the world becomes more open and accepting across the board for all types of people who exist, the Catholic Church has a choice: stay behind, or show up for people who need it the most.
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