In a recent interview with an Italian magazine, Pope Francis provided more comments on “Fiducia Supplicans,” highlighting the hypocrisy behind those shocked that a priest would bless a gay couple but have no problem with him blessing a crooked businessman.

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.

    • Jojo@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      When the pope says he can’t bless gay marriage, is that not letting him hide behind his religion for his choices?

      No, it’s him acknowledging his religion and saying people should be kind and respectful anyway.

      Homosexuality is a complicated subject among Catholics to say the least. Homosexual “acts” are officially a sin in Catholicism, and without the kind of change that would cause a schism, Francis can’t change that. From his perspective, if it did cause a schism anyone on the wrong side of the schism would be in jeopardy, and even if they weren’t they’d just continue on calling people sinners for being gay which Francis and the official stance of the church does oppose.

      So the Pope saying it’s okay to bless people even if you think they might be sinning may not be the most progressive thing in the world, may not be the most progressive thing he could say, but I do understand why he would say what he’s saying instead of something more concrete.

      I don’t have to agree with everything he says or thinks to recognize that.

        • Jojo@lemm.eeEnglish
          1·
          9 months ago

          In just the same way as the US president can just order all of the nukes to be launched at the moon, yes. But actions have consequences, so he doesn’t, even if it might be the “better” course of action for humanity if he did. Because it wouldn’t be the best course for his organization (at least from his perspective).

            • Jojo@lemm.eeEnglish
              2·
              9 months ago

              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.