POPE FRANCIS GOES GAY ? No.
UPDATE
"Even though the major leftist news media claims the Pope embraces same sex marriage, it is not the case. A careful reading of the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings addresses the general practice of blessing with good intentions to obey God's will and specifically not an endorsement of sin or as part of any sacremental confusion with traditional marriage between a man and a woman, " says Eugene Delgaudio, president of Public Advocate.
From the Vatican:
"A second extensive part of the Declaration (paragraphs 7-30) analyzes the meaning of different blessings, whose recipients are people, objects of worship, and places of life. It is recalled that "from a strictly liturgical point of view," the blessing requires that what is blessed "be conformed to God's will, as expressed in the teachings of the Church."
"Also clarified is that to avoid "any form of confusion or scandal," that when a couple in an irregular situation or same-sex couples ask for a blessing, it "should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding" (par. 39). This kind of blessing "may instead find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage" (par. 40)."
CONTRARY TO THESE NEWS REPORTS, the pope has not embraced homosexual marriage
or civil unions.
Pope Francis suggested it may be possible to bless same-sex unions in a newly public response to cardinals who questioned the pope's affirmation of the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church.
In the July letter, which is written in Spanish, he reaffirmed that "the Church has a very clear understanding of marriage: an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation," according to the Vatican News.
However, he advocated for "pastoral charity."
"The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity; it also includes kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude," he said, according to Vatican News. He added that "pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not convey a mistaken concept of marriage."
Pope Francis became the first pontiff to endorse same-sex civil unions in comments for a documentary that premiered Wednesday, sparking cheers from gay Catholics and demands for clarification from conservatives, given the Vatican's official teaching on the issue.
The papal thumbs-up came midway through the feature-length documentary "Francesco," which premiered at the Rome Film Festival. The film, which features fresh interviews with the pope, delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
"Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God," Francis said. "You can't kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered."