Hell may have officially frozen over.
In an interview with La Civilta Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit magazine, released earlier this morning, Pope Francis urged followers to make the Catholic Church a more merciful and welcoming place for all. Then he issued a warning: If the church neglects to find a “new balance” regarding gays, abortion, and contraception, its moral foundation will “fall like a house of cards.”
Said his holiness: “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage, and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”
He continued by saying that some members of the church have become “obsessed” with these issues. “The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things,” he lamented, “in small-minded rules.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But this isn’t the first time Pope Francis has sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church in regards to his thoughts on homosexuality.
Two months ago, he caused a stir during an inflight news conference when he was asked about gay priests. “Who am I to judge?” he replied. Then he added: “As long as they are searching for God and have good will.”
Francis noted in his latest interview that he was merely repeating a church teaching.
He continued: “A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. 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?'”
“This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all,” he said, “not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people.”
We never thought we’d say this, but… Amen!
jwrappaport
I’m sorry Graham, I don’t see how you can possibly conclude that the Pope is “okay with gays and says the Church should be too.” He said no such thing, and I don’t see how even a novice speaker of English could think that for a second. When asked about homosexuality, he said, quoting above, “The teaching of the Church, for that matter, is clear, and I am a son of the Church.” I think a fair, far more modest interpretation of what he said is this: The doctrine of the faith hasn’t changed, but I don’t want to alienate more people by demonizing the gays, especially when there are more important issues at stake.
I realize that this is a important and marked shift from the now Pope Emeritus, but you are grasping at straws (to quote a famous Catholic) to argue that the Pope or the Church has somehow grown to see us as moral equals. Why don’t you read your own site and see what his underlings say about us in the media in the US? Or Africa, for that matter. The second he chastises them for preaching hatred and contempt of us (or the casuistic lie of “hate the sin, love the sinner”), I will be convinced.
jwrappaport
*an
Americans United For Safer Religions
Pope Frances: “A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. 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?’”
“This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all,” he said, “not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people.”
Amen, Pope Frances… amen. Finally!!! There’s now at least one Catholic leader that’s sounding more like Christ. 🙂
Remain blessed, Pope Francis
Deepdow
awesome dude
DCFarmboi
He ain’t the real pope. They have the real pope locked away.
GayTampaCowboy
I have to admit, when i first started reading about the Pope’s statements on homosexuality, i thought this was just a “PR” effort by his handlers, but, despite my better judgement, I think this Pope ACTUALLY GETS IT! The way he handles – and dismisses his detractors – pushback by the “faithful” who want to throw all gay folks into the pits of hell – is quite refreshing.
There may be hope for the RCC yet! Now we just have to see how he handles the child sexual abuse scandal world-wide, the corrupt RCC Bank and the other big problems in the church.
Sparkyu1
Since when is he “ok” with us? Are any catholic policies changing? With catholic organisations stop fighting against our rights? Will he instruct them too stop? will we be able to get married in Catholic churches? Will being gay no longer be considered sinful?
All no.
So he clearly isn’t “ok with gays”. Stop playing apologetic for a bigot, it does us no favours to pretend that a nice homophobe is ok and it’s deceptive reporting besides.
dvlaries
Frank’s is the most concilatory rhetoric heard from any pope in my lifetime. This is nothing less than astonishing. And you know, sometimes you can tell a book by its cover. There was nothing in Benedict’s face that seemed welcoming, but Frank never has yet looked angry or forbidding. If the goodness about him runs straight to his soul, and he lives long enough, this pope could save this church.
Kieran
This Pope is like a breath of fresh air. Long may he reign!
jwrappaport
@Sparkyu1: No kidding. I feel like the comments on here are at best nonsensical or at worst willfully ignorant.
rand503
@Kieran: If he keeps up like this, my may end up like Pope John Paul I. He lasted all of 30 days.
MikeE
@jwrappaport: Thank-you for not being a sheeple blinded by a sensationalistic headline. I don’t understand all the supportive comments that follow yours. You CLEARLY pointed out the fallacy of the headline of this “article”.
From his own words it is obvious that Pope Francis, and the Vatican, have absolutely NO intention of changing their views on homosexuality.
The Roman church STILL thinks that gay sex is a sin.
The Roman church STILL thinks that all same-sex relationships (regardless of legal status) are “sinful”.
The Roman church is STILL completely against abortion.
The Roman church is STILL completely against contraception.
Absolutely NOTHING has changed in any of this.
The ONLY thing the Pope is saying is “let’s not talk about it quite so loudly lest we scare away people”.
The Pope is not “ok with gays” and is most definitely NOT saying that the Roman church should be as well.
Elloreigh
And the award for most deceptive headline of the day goes to…
…Queerty.
While it’s true that this Pope is a breath of fresh air as far as Roman Catholic rhetoric goes, absolutely nothing has changed regarding the Church’s underlying position on these issues.
DarkZephyr
@MikeE: In my opinion their views are their business. What impresses me here is that he seems to be wanting them to leave us the hell alone if we have nothing to do withe their church. That has always been my position. If they leave us alone I don’t care what their views are. So complain all you want, I see this as a step in the right direction.
bmwblonde
The Roman Catholic Church is a PRIMARY institution which teaches the “Basic Badness” of human beings (all human beings, Gays are just “even worse”). The RC Cult sells the Concept and the Belief System that god (a “HE”) created us humans flawed and tempt-able, then tempted us knowing we would flunk, then “cast us out” as punishment for falling into his TCT (Tricky Celestial Trap), and finally demands that we grovel and atone to Him forever to be “forgiven.” Some fees may apply (see the obscene flaunting of 1500 years of stolen wealth, AKA the Vatican). Only a person brought up inside this psychotic drivel would ever be the LEAST BIT interested what its leader thought or said. And such a person needs to GET WELL.
It’s not just that “the” (ha ha) Church is Cray-Cray about gay people — it is JUST PLAIN overall NUTS. And any fake accommodation this pope might be appearing to make (all in Veiled and Holy Terms), is JUST an ambiguously-worded PR bone thrown to Western / Industrial Nation young people, who have left the church light years behind on gay issues. BUT being a politician (as well as a thief), the pope can’t afford to alienate all the ignorant, poor, starving bigoted potential “conversion candidates” in the third world by seeming to be TOO overtly Christian” toward us faggots. Gay Catholics: get over it! The RCC is a self-appointedly condescending looney bin, masquerading as a “conduit to God”; time to go over the wall, inmates!
2eo
@jwrappaport: Well said.
The moronic love fest that happens with every new archkidfucker is sickening.
2eo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZz24qnzVis
What religion has contributed this past month.
rbgilbert
Go read the full interview in English at http://www.americamagazine.org/pope-interview
The Pope uses the words “wounds” and “disease” to describe gay people, those who use contraception, those who have had abortions, and those who have remarried after divorce. He is not “okay” with gay people. He is only saying the church needs a different public relations effort.
Deepdow
You Idiots,
do you think it’s going to be easy for the leader of an organized religion to just up and declare that the bible is ok with teh gay?
Of course not you imbeciles.
Instead, like a politician, he has to lead in a more subtle way. In order to influence future theologians with regard to how they interpret that most chaotic of tomes, the bible.
So instead of complaining that he hasn’t done a 180, recognize the significance of the very clear and humanistic language he chooses to craft around the issue of homosexuality.
lol, dum dums,
2eo
@Deepdow: The SS Childfuck is sinking with every passing day. Tiny motions may please the more cretinous of our community, but the good people have had enough of talk and complete inaction.
MK Ultra
The Catholic church is just like the Mormon church, they’re on a massive PR campaign to show how ‘open’ and ‘accepting’ they are because they see the writing on the wall, yet have double downed on the hate and violence behind the scenes.
You guys, this is absolutely the same as Putin saying “we don’t discriminate against anyone. In fact, I once gay some gay guy a medal or something”
Why is this propaganda more believable to you?
Is it because you want it to be true, because that’s how good propaganda works. Playing either on fear or hope to motivate.
Some people are so desperate they will jump at any ‘acceptance’, even fake, condescending ‘acceptance”.
Miss Understood
A wonderful blog called Queerty, maybe you’ve heard of it, told us all about the anti-gay crap coming out of Franny’s mouth:
http://www.queerty.com/pope-francis-i-same-sex-marriage-is-a-machination-of-the-father-of-lies-20130313/
Sorry, that organization has no value whatsoever. In 2013 they don’t even treat women equally. If you must be religious why not oin a progressive church and stop supporting these criminals.
J.c.
@Deepdow: You got it! Well said!
Derek
I am still not convinced that it is a “home for all.” The Roman Catholic church needs to stop covering up the priests who get away with molesting children and they need to change their celibacy policy which bans priests from getting married.
hepaistion
I am not catholic but with this pope I might convert. Hate the sin not the person. lol people should not just convict on the basis of the sin, but why was the sin committed. Think of a lie to to the nazi in germany to save lives of jews. whats worse the lie or the fact the lie saves lives
2eo
@hepaistion: That’s possibly the most idiotic thing I’ve ever read on this site, and Balehead posts regularly.
Deepdow
@hepaistion:
Being gay is not a sin though. You can be religious but what you cannot do is lie to yourself and think that dogma precedes fact and truth. Dogma is just opinion and in this case the sigma is ancient old and suspect for many reasons.
Tom
@Deepdow: very true. From a Catholic point of view, being gay (IE being attracted to members of the same sex) is not a sin. Many people dont realise that. Even Catholics. The official Catholic teaching is that gay sex is sinful, but homosexual orientation is just a ‘temptation’.
2eo
Just to remind anyone who may listen to Tom.
https://www.facebook.com/tom.kent.9619
Restored Hope Network, Called Out – Janet Boynes Ministries, United States Marine Corps, Christopher Yuan, Misunderstood Christians, The Caiden Cowger Program, Save Traditional Marriage, Alliance Defending Freedom, The Junior Factor Nation, Public Discourse, Sweet Cakes By Melissa, Marriage Conservation, Heterosexual Pride, America’s Survival, Inc., Ex-Homosexual Through Jesus Christ, Catholics for Marriage, The Science of Homosexual Behavior, Chicks On The Right, Save Chicks on the Right from censorship., Speak. Love., Family Policy Network, Nissa Annakindt, writer, Aspie, cat person., TheCollegeConservative, We can defend marriage, The Ruth Institute, Heterosexual Awareness Month, Traditional Britain Group, Protect Marriage NZ, We Defend Traditional Marriage – and We’re Gay, Joe Miller, Cory Bernardi, Matt Moore – Christian Writer/Blogger, Things Jesus Never Said, 1,000,000 Supporting Traditional Marriage, Melissa Dereberry Books, Heterosexuals Inspiring Pride
ScaryRussianHeather
It’s really irrelevant if the LGBT community believes the guy’s telling the truth about how he feels or not. It’s assumed only his believers and followers will even notice, care or be influenced by him. It’s kinda ironic that everyone thinks you’re a moron if you’re still a Catholic but then pretend his followers won’t be influenced by his beliefs or statements.
AA says “You have to talk the talk before you can walk the walk”. This is similar.
I’m pretty sure I read he’s spent his entire life living humble, worshiping poor people and not giving anyone any reason to doubt his intentions. Something that cannot be said about other Idols of the LGBT community like Gaga and Obama, the biggest self serving, political calculating phony of all.
jwrappaport
@ScaryRussianHeather: You’re “pretty sure” that you read somewhere that the Pope is a nice guy, so his claims are more valid than those of Obama or Lady Gaga.
In the words of Judge Judy, “Are you on medication? Do you have a drinking problem, madame?” I mean, really, your response is as unresponsive as it is silly. The actions of the Church and its doctrine that have stood for more than a thousand years create an overwhelming presumption that there will be no substantive change in doctrine. His words are not trivial, but they are no watershed. Why is this a complicated, controversial proposition for people to understand?