September 19th, 2013
11:41 AM ET

Pope: Church can't 'interfere' with gays

Pope Francis said the church has the right to express its opinions but not to "interfere spiritually" in the lives of gays and lesbians, expanding on explosive comments he made in July about not judging homosexuals.

In a wide-ranging interview published Thursday, the pope also said that women must play a key role in church decisions and brushed off critics who say he should be more vocal about fighting abortion and gay marriage.

The interview, released by Jesuit magazines in several different languages and 16 countries on Thursday, offers perhaps the most expansive and in-depth view of Francis' vision for the Roman Catholic Church.

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Filed under: Catholic Church • Pope Francis • Religion • Vatican
soundoff (31 Responses)
  1. saywhat

    Well what is the Pope to do,he cannot refute or deny the edicts of Bible on homosexuality & other 'sins'?

    September 19, 2013 at 11:44 am | Report abuse |
    • Maurice

      The Pope states that he is also a sinner. But that is not addressing the guidelines a church needs to give in terms of what is right and what is wrong regarding for instance the position with gays and what the Bible says. By not making a clear statement in this regard for instance can lead more individuals to be confused and in fact make them to justify their lifestyles – "because we are just all sinners".Yes, we all need mercy. Mercy is free but not cheap and to sin perpetually without repenting is making a mockery of Gods mercy and grace.There needs to be a moral compass and who else but the church to be very clear what is right and what is wrong. The Pope cannot dodge the question be saying we are all sinners and cannot point fingers.The world need clear leadership in all aspects of life regarding moral issues.

      September 20, 2013 at 3:14 pm | Report abuse |
  2. saywhat

    blocked

    September 19, 2013 at 11:44 am | Report abuse |
  3. saywhat

    Well what is the Pope to do? He cannot deny or refute the edicts of the Bible on homosexuality and other 'sins' .

    September 19, 2013 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
  4. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    If His Holiness Francis can bring the posture of the Roman Catholic Church more in line with secular progress regarding social issues, he will establish a position in history as one of the most important figures in preserving the relevance of faith.

    September 19, 2013 at 1:01 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Jeff Roem

    Now I can marry my brother Chris. Think the Pope will have a problem with that?

    September 19, 2013 at 4:25 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Hamsta

    The funny thing about this is that we call the gay guy at my job Francis, I wonder if the pope is gay.

    September 20, 2013 at 8:57 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      Frank Sinatra would disagree with you> I'm sorry that you don't know that the Pope took the name honoring St. Francis of Assissi. You would think that with the Pope being in the news so much, you would know that.

      September 20, 2013 at 10:12 pm | Report abuse |
    • Hamsta

      Duh! You liberals really are stupid, being as I started my comment with "THE FUNNY THING IS" I was indicating sarcasm. It was a joke, stupid liberal!

      September 20, 2013 at 10:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      I am not a liberal, but your joke was tasteless. I suspect your educational level was very low.

      September 20, 2013 at 10:56 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Hamsta

    Actually I'm a conservative. I find it hillarious to hear liberals talking about the dumbing down of American school children considering they and their messiah, the great Oba-me champion the Common Core program which replaces the traditional, conventional education system of the 4 R's of aRithmetic, Reading, wRiting and histoRy with Ebonics(Po Pimps and Mobstaz), gay history, forced Muslim faith, and demonizing of conservatives, Tea Party members, supporters of the Bill Of Rights and homeschooling.
    Do I believe in hell? After vising the spirit world and sitting at the table with the Grim Reaper, Jesus, Mother Mary, God, and Satan I will tell you hell is Dante's invention for a corrupted crooked church who forces sodomy on little boys to scare you into compliance. Come back from the dead like I did, then and only then can you tell me about God or hell.

    September 20, 2013 at 9:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      There is so much ridiculous hyperbole going on here, I don't know where to start. States decide the curriculum, not Obama. Unless you are 5 1/2 years old or younger, you would know this.
      The rest of your post is supposition and I will not waste my time with it. The level of delusion is deep.

      September 20, 2013 at 10:17 pm | Report abuse |
    • Hamsta

      The only hyperbole in these blogs are from stupid libs who ask questions like "What difference does it make?"after claiming they can't testify because of a bump on their head before being promoted for saying "Don't worry, we will get the guy that made the Youtube video!".

      September 20, 2013 at 10:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • Hamsta

      But don't you worry, just as the Oba-Me administration where gloating how they got Bin Laden, even making a movie about it, HBO is making a movie about Bengahzi. The whole world will once again see Oba-Me and company's incorent rambling of lies and incompetence.

      September 20, 2013 at 11:07 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      Hamsta math: 4 Americans killed in Libya > 4,400 Americans killed in Iraq

      Ambassador Adolph Dubs
      Ambassador Francis E. Meloy, Jr.
      Ambassador Rodger P. Davies
      Ambassador Cleo A. Noel, Jr.
      Ambassador John Gordon Mein

      Your point?

      The Common Core State Initiative was constructed before Obama took office.

      September 20, 2013 at 11:15 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      Hamsta, if you have the guts, look up these dates:
      January 22, 2002
      June 14, 2002
      October 12, 2002
      February 28, 2003
      May 12, 2003
      July 30, 2004
      December 6, 2004
      March 2, 2006
      September 12, 2006
      January 12, 2007
      March 18, 2008
      July 9, 2008
      Drop the hyperbole. Get educated.

      September 20, 2013 at 11:33 pm | Report abuse |
    • bambi

      u sat at a table at the table with the Grim Reaper, Jesus, Mother Mary, God, and Satan u must have hit ur head way hard liar

      September 20, 2013 at 11:41 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Observer

    I agree.

    September 20, 2013 at 11:19 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Observer

    A poll of Louisiana Republicans released a few weeks ago contained some strange news for President Obama: Twenty-nine percent of them said that he was responsible for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina — in 2005. When Obama wasn't even in office.

    September 21, 2013 at 12:30 am | Report abuse |
  10. chrissy

    Lmao @ bambi, that was a good one! Lies do come fast and furious where a certain someone is in the very near vacinity.

    September 21, 2013 at 10:49 pm | Report abuse |
  11. banasy©

    And Hamsta calls liberals stupid?

    September 22, 2013 at 9:27 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Hope

    As a Christian I am appauld at the Popes inability to make a stance on an issue thats outrightly wrong and is written as so in black and white. Cant imagine why he would say ones ability to call a sin a sin is judging when many are simply making a choice.

    September 23, 2013 at 9:14 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Hope

    Matthew 3:7-12

    September 23, 2013 at 9:43 pm | Report abuse |
  14. tina

    Jesus never said a word about gay people. Prove me wrong.

    September 23, 2013 at 10:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • Scottish Mama

      You are right he was talking about the wicked, not the gay people.

      September 24, 2013 at 1:04 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Hamsta

    Wrong Hope being gay is fine with Jesus.

    September 23, 2013 at 10:05 pm | Report abuse |
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