Pope Francis: Gays, Abortion Too Much Of Catholic Church's Obsession

[SkyTrekTower]

So how long until the Vatican issues a retraction?  You know, the church is long overdue for a schism.

Pope Francis faulted the Roman Catholic church for focusing too much on gays, abortion and contraception, saying the church has become "obsessed" with those issues to the detriment of its larger mission to be "home for all," according to an extensive new interview published Thursday.

The church can share its views on homosexuality, abortion and other issues, but should not "interfere spiritually" with the lives gays and lesbians, the pope added in the interview, which was published in La Civilta Cattolica, a Rome-based Jesuit journal.

“We have to find a new balance, otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel," Francis said in the interview.

"The church has sometimes locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules,' Francis said. "The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials."

*snip*

In the interview, Francis does not come out in support of gay marriage, abortion rights or contraception, saying that church positions on those issues are "clear," but he added that the "the proclamation of the saving love of God comes before moral and religious imperatives.”

“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality,” he said to Jesuit priest Fr. Antonio Spadaro, who conducted the interview for La Civilta Cattolica. “I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person.”

The comments on gays and lesbians follow up on remarks Francis made aboard the papal airplane in July when asked about gay priests. "Who am I to judge?" the pope then said, in a quote that made international front-page headlines. In Thursday's interview, Francis clarified that those comments were about all gay people and not only priests.

*snip*

“But I have never been a right-winger," he said.

Story Link
Interview

[Sigmaleph]

Who wants to bet this will have no significant repercussions whatsoever in terms of how the RCC (and Catholics in general) treat those issues?

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

[ironbite]

Until he actually does something to fix some of those issues, this is just talk.

Ironbite-which he's been mostly since he got elected.

[kefkaownsall]

Ironic you used a homopohbe.  This is empty talk as most of the cardinals said that it will still continue homophobia

[Witchyjoshy]

Actually I'm wondering what the pope can even do.

I mean I know he's like... the big head honcho, but as far as I recall, he can't make any edicts except on very specific and sparse dates or something.

[Old Viking]

I bet there's a lot of cardinals with ruffled feathers.

[Sigmaleph]

Actually I'm wondering what the pope can even do.

I mean I know he's like... the big head honcho, but as far as I recall, he can't make any edicts except on very specific and sparse dates or something.

I don't think this is so.

It's official doctrine of the Church that when the Pope speaks ex cathedra (that is, from his position as pastor of all Catholics), then whatever he says is true (infallible, in fact) and binding on the Church. There are some conditions on when the Pope is considered to be speaking ex cathedra, but as far as I can tell it doesn't specify dates or sparsity or anything that would limit the Pope on doing it whenever he wanted (though only on subjects relating to doctrines of faith or morals). My source on this is Catholic Encyclopedia


This is, of course, only the theoretical limitation. In practice, if Bergoglio declared tomorrow that gay sex is alright with God, then a decent chunk of the Church would not follow him, declare him a false Pope or whatever (there's already a movement of people who declare that because of the Second Vatican Council, the Church is no longer truly Catholic and the successors of John XXIII were not legitimate popes). Tradition is a very powerful force in Catholicism, and any reformation would have to be slow and gradual.

Which doesn't change the fact that all Bergoglio is doing is just empty posturing that will not lead to any actual progress.

[dpareja]

God is in everyone's life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else — God is in this person's life.

So, um, God's a douchebag, then?

[Sylvana]

Until he actually does something to fix some of those issues, this is just talk.

Ironbite-which he's been mostly since he got elected.

A fair point. However I would like to state though that the very first step to actually fixing a problem is to bring it up. Everyone else in the Catholic church wont even talk about their obsession with abortion, contraceptives and gays, at least with this the Pope is publicly opening the doors for these issues to be addressed.

You could see this as just talk, but the pope himself has very little actual power. He cant suddenly stop all homophobia in the church, but he can at least take the first steps towards the church changing and becoming more tolerant.

Short version, a pope talking about accepting all people is better than one condemning condoms as evil while on tour in Africa.

[Sleepy]

^ That's pretty much the way I see it. I'm thankful we have a pope that's a lot more moderate.

[Askold]

Kinda like with Obama.

Not as good as the hype made him but still an improvement and certainly better than some of the alternatives.

[dpareja]

Well, now he's gone and said the usual "abortion bad" stuff.

There's no mention in the article about whether he said anything about supporting the mothers and children after the child is born.

[kefkaownsall]

He earlier said the church obsesses too much on abortion MAKE UP YOUR MIND

[Ironchew]

Kinda like with Obama.

Not as good as the hype made him but still an improvement and certainly better than some of the alternatives.

He certainly has an Obama-esque PR team. Francis knows how to package his statements to appeal to equivocators without actually changing the substance of what is being said.