GREENSBORO, N.C. — In mid-March, the Vatican said it cannot bless same-sex unions. However, the comes in stark contrast to the Pope supporting legal protections for same-sex couples in 2019.

For Rob Overman and other members of the LGBTQ community, the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriage is rather confusing.

“Suddenly it’s a sin again and they can’t bless sin. It’s a little whiplashy. You almost just wish they would make up their mind,” he says.

Overman challenges the church to adopt a more modern mindset.

“My hope for them is they’ll shift their focus to matters that are affecting everyone’s lived experiences now. Personally, I’m getting a little tired of hearing the interpretation of a 2,000-year-old text. I’d rather them interpret what’s happening today,” he added.

Jennifer Feather, an Associate Professor of English, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at UNCG, says she was not surprised by the Vatican’s response.

“There’s an ongoing conversation within the Catholic Church and certainly among individual Catholics about what kinds of relationships bear fruit. That’s the crucial distinction that the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith is making,” Feather says.

Overman is not a member of the Catholic Church but considers himself spiritual. He says he worries about the younger generations of the LGBTQ community.

“Kids right now that are struggling with their sexuality, kids that aren’t sure what all these feelings are, and how to make heads or tails of them…it just complicates an already complicated situation for them,” he says.

The Vatican’s response came after a question asking if the church has the power to give blessing to unions of persons of the same sex. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, an office within the Vatican responded with one word, negative. However, it also issued an explanation saying there are no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar to God’s plan for marriage and family.