In an unusual interview, Pope Francis corrected a questioner about the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex couples, explaining that while it approves of individual blessings, it does not approve of same-sex marriages.
In a conversation with “60 Minutes,” the Pope said the Vatican’s decision to approve the blessing of Catholics in same-sex unions because the Church recognizes the sacrament of marriage as an indissoluble union between two men. A question was asked about the apparent change in policy. woman.
“Last year, you decided to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples,” CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell said. “That’s a big change. Why?”
“No, what I allow is not to bless marriage. I cannot do that because it is not a sacrament. I cannot do it. The Lord has ordained it so,” the pope said, translated into English. mentioned in. “But to bless each person, yes, the blessing is for everyone. For everyone. But to bless homosexual unions is a given right, a church But if we’re going to bless each person, why not? Some people were outraged by this, but everyone!
Catholic bishops around the world oppose blessings to people in same-sex relationships
Pope Francis will speak in an interview on “60 Minutes” that will be broadcast on May 19, 2024.
Francis sent a letter to two conservative cardinals in October suggesting that such blessings could be offered in some circumstances, provided those receiving the blessing did not confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage. . Initial media reports at the time seemed to confuse this news with a change in the Church’s support for same-sex marriage, but the Pope simply said that all people should have access to such blessings. I just wanted to say that I deserved it.
A blessing is According to the Catechism of the Church, “a prayer that evokes God’s power and care for a person, place, thing, or undertaking.”
This news is still making waves around the world. Like some gay Catholics He had previously felt alienated by the church’s teachings, but he saw this as a welcome change. But some Catholic bishops around the world have balked at the idea, and traditional Catholics in the United States have also criticized the pope’s comments.
Last year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued guidelines for U.S. believers following the release of the Fiducia Supplicant, a document that authorizes pastoral blessings given to remarried people and people in same-sex relationships under strict conditions. announced and stated the following: Nothing has changed about marriage.”
Last year, Pope Francis criticized governments that criminalize homosexuality, saying that while homosexuality is a sin, it is not a crime.
Cardinals dissatisfied with Pope Francis’ answers on LGBT blessings and women’s ordination, demand ‘yes or no’
Pope Francis holds his weekly audience at the Vatican on February 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Mr O’Donnell referred to his past comments about homosexuality, to which Mr Francis replied: “That’s a human fact.”
“There are conservative bishops in the United States who are opposed to your new efforts to rethink teaching and tradition. How will you address their criticism?” O’Donnell asked.
“You used the adjective ‘conservative.’ So a conservative is someone who clings to something and doesn’t look beyond it,” the Pope said. “That is a suicidal attitude, because one thing is to take into account tradition, one is to take into account past circumstances, but another thing is to be confined within an arbitrary box.”
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Pope Francis has led the church since 2013, but rarely takes the reins. on-air interview. The first pope from the Americas, he has at times made global headlines for his speeches on social issues and efforts to reform the church’s sexual abuse scandals.
Fox News’ Pilar Arias and Timothy HJ Nerozzi contributed to this report.
