Pope Francis has defended his controversial decision to let priests bless same-sex couples but admitted that “solitude is a price you have to pay” when you make difficult decisions.
Francis doubled down and insisted that the “Lord blesses everyone,” during a Sunday interview with an Italian talk show. But he acknowledged the remarkable opposition his decision has sparked — Africa’s bishops have united in a continent-wide refusal to implement the Vatican declaration and individual bishops in Eastern Europe, Latin America and elsewhere have also voiced opposition.
Vatican’s Dec. 18 declaration restated traditional church teaching that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and woman. But it allowed priests to offer spontaneous, non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples seeking God’s grace in their lives, provided such blessings aren’t confused with the rites and rituals of a wedding.
During an appearance on “Che Tempo Che Fa,” Frances acknowledged, in his first comments since the uproar, the “resistance” the decision has generated. He blamed it on bishops not really understanding the issue and refusing to open a dialogue about it.
This is such a non-news. “pope says God still hates gay marriage.” Catholics are still wrong.
Or, he was realistic and practical about how far he could push change. In fact, considering the response, he might have gone a bit too fast. From a practical perspective, if he wants to change church policy, the best way to do it would be via the boiling frog method. Having an entire continent of the church potentially splinter away into a new extremist faction will not help the progressive cause
The Pope is the infallible word of God - Catholicism isn’t a democracy. And religion is all about what should be instead of what is, so there shouldn’t be any precedence for being practical. Letting gay people be murdered so the church might splinter doesn’t seem like a fair trade. He sounds like a coward for either not taking a stand for gay people, or for just doing this to get some press in more liberal outlets.
I should say I’m nowhere near unbiased - my perspective is that religious belief is a mental illness and Catholicism has enabled genocide from its inception to today.
I think we all know better. I’m sure the bishops do.
How did we get from blessing gay marriage to letting gay people be murdered?
That’s funny, because it certainly seems like he is taking a stand
No argument there. That doesn’t mean that the current change is not for the better, and one of the best steps forward he could be taking.
religious belief is a coping mechanism. it helps people cope with uncertainty and the unknown, creating a community. It has been in decline because there is much less unknown now that before, although it will probably always exist; since we will never know what happens after death, there will always be some unknown
Organized religion like Catholicism is a instrument of power, and it has definitely enabled genocide
Did…you actually read the article?
That’s not at all what the Pope said.
I mean what has actually been said by this Pope is that gay people should not be denied blessings. Not sure if this article specifically got into the nitty gritty but the things he has ALSO said in his original full brief was :
Which… Really isn’t anything substantial. There have been people’s pets who have been blessed in the way he is describing… So gay people have finally reached parity with the family cat in the eyes of the Catholic Church! Huzzah!
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/12/18/vatican-approves-blessings-for-same-sex-couples-under-certain-conditions&ved=2ahUKEwi7qLqr_-SDAxXbHjQIHTehD84QFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw38B032zsvsZsbybf2RgALw
In reality holding the Pope to an actual progressive standard isn’t going to be feasible. The cardinals don’t want to lay hands on us LGBTQIA lepers so even the notion that we deserve anything but to sit mournfully outside the gates is a completely radical notion. The Vatican city was not built in a day and revisiting the bible and throwing out Pauline doctrine, the cornerstone of (very sus) legitimacy the Catholic Church was built on isn’t exactly something they want on the agenda this or any century.