The Vatican is upset, and feeling like a victim. The Vatican is angry that the world is no longer willing to tolerate the alleged homophobia of the Catholic Church. However, not everybody is sympathetic to the Vatican's claim of victimization.
Tuesday the Vatican condemned a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution in support of gay rights. The resolution was sponsored by 85 countries including the United States. The Vatican objects to this resolution that simply and clearly states that human rights apply to everyone, no matter who they are or whom they love.
Apparently the U.N. resolution affirming that "gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights" is unacceptable to the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, the Vatican's representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, explained the position of the Catholic Church:
“People are being attacked for taking positions that do not support sexual behavior between people of the same sex. When they express their moral beliefs or beliefs about human nature … they are stigmatised, and worse – they are vilified, and prosecuted.”
Adding insult to injury, Tomasi also likened being gay to pedophilia and incest:
"States can and must regulate behaviors, including various sexual behaviors. Certain kinds of sexual behaviors must be forbidden by law. Pedophilia and incest are two examples.”
A sample of Thursday's Twitter stream concerning the Vatican's reaction to the U.N. Resolution affirming gay rights reveals a less than charitable attitude towards the Vatican's position:
What naked evil that Vatican sidles up to! Poor little rights opposers!
Defending bigotry by trying to make me feel sorry for you? Vatican is nuts.
Crying because they get called haters? Sheesh. Vatican Says Opponents Of Gays Are Victims, Too.
Vatican against people being bigoted against bigots.
UN: Vatican defends “right” to bash gay rights.
To be fair, many American Catholics do not share the alleged homophobia of the Catholic Church. A recently released poll finds a large majority of American Catholics — 71% — support civil marriage equality for same-sex couples. The report also finds that almost half of Catholics, 43%, support allowing gay couples to marry regardless of type of ceremony (civil or religious) and 74% believe that same-sex relationships should be accepted by society. Additionally, the report finds that a majority of American Catholics (56%) believe same-gender sexual relations is not a sin, as opposed to the teachings of their church.
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