Pope: there should be ways to bless same sex unions

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions that do not convey “a mistaken concept of marriage”.

He was responding to a  series of questions known as “dubia”, from five conservative cardinals who challenged him on church teaching and published their concerns two days before the Synod in Rome, which starts tomorrow (Wednesday).

The Pope responded hours later, publishing his answers, saying it was appropriate to do so “given the proximity of the Synod”.  He said matrimony is a union between a man and a woman, but pastoral charity requires patience and understanding and priests cannot become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude.” Decisions should be made case by case and there was no need for dioceses or bishops conferences to turn pastoral charity into fixed norms or protocols. LGBTQ+ campaigners say his intervention advances efforts to provide welcome in the church.

They were his vocal critics Cardinals Walter Brandmüller and Raymond Leo Burke supported by three other Cardinals, Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, Robert Sarah, and Joseph Zen Ze-kiun.