Pope Francis: I don’t bless a ‘homosexual marriage.’ I bless two people who love each other.

Stamau123@lemmy.world to World News@lemmy.world – 960 points – Pope Francis: I don’t bless a ‘homosexual marriage.’ I bless two people who love each other.
americamagazine.org

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People who act shocked that a priest would bless a gay couple but have no problem with him blessing a crooked businessman are hypocrites, Pope Francis said.

“The most serious sins are those that are disguised with a more ‘angelic’ appearance. No one is scandalized if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people, which is a very serious sin. Whereas they are scandalized if I give it to a homosexual -- this is hypocrisy,” he told the Italian magazine Credere.

The interview was scheduled for publication Feb. 8, but Vatican News reported on some of its content the day before when the magazine issued a press release about the interview.

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But actions have consequences, so he doesn't, even if it might be the "better" course of action for humanity if he did.

  1. We can be critical of is action or inaction.
  2. These consequences are mythical and not relevant. I mean, do you think everyone’s going to just up and leave catholocism (good luck, literally no one can stop being a catholic, to the extent that their religion means anything)? Do you think they will take over the vatican? Do you think they will start sinning in other ways, like killing one another? Do you think catholics would go against what the pope has told them God has commanded?, really? I don’t. What am I missing here?

Because it wouldn't be the best course for his organization (at least from his perspective).

Because it’s his opinion, because he (*[via] God [or whatever]) sets the rules. You know what, I’ll write him about this. I realize he’s got other archdiocese reading and responding to him but as a catholic it’s one of my rights. I am all for meeting people where they are at, but.. it’s all but saying it, and until he does say it, he’s just giving people a way to win arguments claiming that homosexuality is a sin, making everyone their own lawyer trying to interpret what the pope is saying.

If this were a politician trying to sway congress that’s one thing, but is the vatican not functionally a dictatorship, with the pope at the top?

Do you think catholics would go against what the pope has told them God has commanded?

Wouldn't be the first time. In fact, it happens at a small scale fairly often, and it's generally perceived as a tragedy when it does.

If this were a politician trying to sway congress that’s one thing, but is the vatican not functionally a dictatorship, with the pope at the top?

It's not really. It's an elected office, and certainly a political one. If there's not a way to depose him once elected, it doesn't make it not political. As for his supposed despotic power, he could theoretically do basically anything, but he doesn't because the reality is that he doesn't have the political will to do it.

tragedy

I don’t think catholics know what that word means. Not in this context they sure don’t.

This sounds like some “I don’t want to tell my kids about gay marriage because it’s going to make me mildly uncomfortable so I might as well demonize it”.

Yeah, I guess I have a lot more faith in the pope than you do. I know he can do it, but I also know he doesn’t care enough to do it. It’s just showing face. It’s trying to market a dying religion.