He created a controversy within the Church by speaking out about homosexuality. But is also a network star … Who is Father Mathieu, who is a hit on the networks?
Men and women religious are taking over social networks. To answer questions from the faithful as well as to talk about faith and proselytize, all religions have preachers. s on the Net. The latest network, TikTok, has recently seen a slew of them. Catholic priests in particular, who answer practical and theological questions, “How are priests paid?” To “Do animals go to paradise?” In September 2021, the father Matthieu jasseron, parish priest of Joigny, in Yonne, created controversy by answering a question that has divided the Catholic Church since its inception: is homosexuality a sin? The father responds directly that in the Bible, there is no mention of homosexuality as a sin. Enough to trigger the ire of many believers and members of the clergy. The priest then released a second video in which he maintains his point. Its doctrine of great tolerance does not seem directly connection with the official doxa of the Church. This priest also spoke about abortion, refusing to directly condemn an act that the Church nevertheless condemns.
Other priests have stepped up (virtually) in order to put forward the dominant doctrine of the Church. The diocese of Sens and Auxerre a published a press release breaking away from the positions taken by Father Mathieu specifying that “The audience that he was able to meet giving a particular impact to his interventions, it is important that the latter be able to benefit from a broader competition of competences in order to be able to engage the Church.”
Father Mathieu has the merit of making it possible to reflect once again on the traditions and practices of a religion which is necessarily a reflection of past eras, but also of following standards that are centuries old. To those who rely on the Bible to condemn homosexuality, we hope that you do not work on Saturdays: it is condemned to death by the book of Exodus in chapter 35 verse 2 …