‘Take Me to Church’ singer Hozier slams Pope for failing to tackle Catholic homophobia
Hozier performs onstage at the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 19, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kevin Winter/Getty)
Hozier has laid into the Pope for failing to actually challenge actively homophobic practices within the Catholic Church, despite “lip service”.
The Irish singer was behind 2013 breakout hit ‘Take Me To Church’ – inspired by frustration over religious hypocrisy on LGBT rights.
Speaking on Larry King Now, Hozier attacked Pope Francis for his hypocrisy on the issue, uttering pro-gay soundbites while changing little.
He said: “This is one of the paradoxes and weird hypocrisy of that organization.
“The Pope came out last year and said who am I to judge with regards to somebody’s sexual orientation?
“But I think it is important to differentiate between lip service towards something and actually making change.
“I think it is hopeful, but saying this in 2015, ‘Who am I to judge?’ is something that should have been said 100 years ago.”
I think there’s a difference when actual doctrine changes and policy changes – but it’s still undeniably an organisation that has institutionalised an aversion to homosexuality.
“In my view, that is why I was driven to write ‘Take Me to Church’ – I think the church provides an excuse for homophobia.”
Despite an early ‘who am I to judge’ PR blitz attempting to bolster his image, the Pope is yet to lift any of the actively homophobic and transphobic policies of his predecessors.
Catholic schools around the world continue to teach that homosexuality is wrong, Catholic businesses and adoption services routinely discriminate against LGBT people, and multiple Catholic institutions have fired people for being gay.
It recently emerged that a listed anti-gay hate group was secretly funded by Catholic donations.
Proposals to ‘reach out’ to gay people were scrapped by the Church last year – and despite suggestions that the plans would return at a 2015 Synod, they were passed over again this year.
The Pope has also increasingly rallied against same-sex marriage, inviting representatives from listed hate groups to a ‘traditional marriage’ conference, urging Slovakians to vote against equal marriage, which he claims “disfigures God’s creation”.
Despite his ‘who am I to judge’ comments, the Pope seemed perfectly happy to judge when a senior Vatican priest came out as gay last month: he promptly dismissed him from his post.
The priest has since sent a letter warning the Pope that his policies are “making life hell” for LGBT people. The Pope did not reply.
Meanwhile, the Pope is accused of blocking France’s choice of Ambassador to the Vatican – because he happens to be gay.
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