Pope Francis is marked by three ‘firsts.’
When Francis was elected in 2013, he had the distinction of being the first pope since the 1400’s to lead the church while his predecessor was still alive.
He is the first Jesuit-trained pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
He is the first pope to be accused of being a communist and the first Pope to give a green light to blessing same-sex couples.
The Roman Catholic Church, a 2,000-year-old institution, generally moves at a snail’s pace. Changes are typically measured at the scale of generations. But this week, Pope Francis announced that he was allowing priests to bless same-sex relationships—a shocking and complete reversal from 2021, when the Vatican declared that same-sex relationships should not be blessed because God “cannot bless sin.” What the Roman Catholic Church is doing here is blessing sodomy.
The Vatican statement Monday marks a new step in Francis’ campaign, explicitly authorizing priests to offer non-sacramental blessings to same-sex couples. The blessings must not be a wedding, but it is a blessing nonetheless. Monday’s announcement also reverses a 2021 Vatican ruling that condemned the blessings of same-sex unions saying God “cannot bless sin.”
Francis is accelerating his agenda, an agenda that is sharply left of center. In October, the pope signed a document clarifying that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents, and be witnesses at church weddings.
And that aligns with other off-the-cuff comments the pope has made. Most famously, in 2013 he responded to a comment about gay priests with “Who am I to judge?” He also has supported legal protections for civil unions; argued that “homosexuality isn’t a crime”; met with transgender Catholics; and expressed support for LGBTQ+ Catholic organizations.”
In short, this pope is an expert at subverting Christian teaching by suggestion. He allows interviewers to ask him questions to which he responds with ambiguous and suggestive answers. In this manner, he has been moving the Roman Catholic Church further left ever since 2013. What the Roman Catholic Church is doing here is blessing sodomy.
What he did Monday, was revolutionary. This is what he was trained to do.
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