Pope Francis: Frankie Say...

“We need to proclaim the Gospel on every street corner,” the pope says, “preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing, even with our preaching, every kind of disease and wound. In Buenos Aires I used to receive letters from homosexual persons who are ‘socially wounded’ because they tell me that they feel like the church has always condemned them. But the church does not want to do this. During the return flight from Rio de Janeiro I said that if a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge. By saying this, I said what the catechism says. Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.

“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being. In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation. It is necessary to accompany them with mercy. When that happens, the Holy Spirit inspires the priest to say the right thing...

“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time..."
 
Quotes taken from some Italian Jesuit magazine - his first major interview as Pope - and published in English in America: The National Catholic Review.

"I don't like to keep going on about this but..."
Some gayers seem to be rather over-excited about this statement, claiming it means "Pope Francis is okay with gays and says the church should be too" (Queerty).
Andrew Sullivan wrote it was "a revelation" and "wonderful to hear".
Though he's a rightwing gay Catholic, so often says silly things.
But note his holy popeyness insists "the teaching of the church... is clear."
Meaning, presumably, that homosexuals will still all be cast into the seventh circle of hell.
And if "it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time'', how about shutting up about it for a bit?
Not that I give a felch what you think about anything anyway...