It seems that the Roman Catholic Church leadership has now started the move to abandon scripture. I am not an expert on Roman Catholic doctrine, so some may dispute my comments. There are many God loving, born again believers in the Catholic Church, no doubt, but there are also many things in Roman Catholic doctrine that are in-congruent with scripture. One of those significant beliefs is that we are to look to the Pope for interpretation of scripture rather than study and reading it ourselves. Jesus meant for the gospel to be preached to all men and opened the door for all men to have relationship with him. My hope is that this recent move will cause a renewal within the Roman Catholic church, but short of that, maybe a division that will break off who truly seek God and hold to the truths of the Bible.
Pope Francis Endorses Civil Unions For Same-Sex Couples
Joe WalshForbes StaffBusinessI cover breaking news for Forbes.
Topline
Pope Francis called for the legalization of same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope, a shift from the Catholic Church’s longstanding doctrine on LGBTQ rights, though Francis appeared to stop short of supporting same-sex marriage outright.
Key Facts
The pope made the comments during a documentary film released in Italy on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Francis framed civil unions, a legal status with rights similar to marriages in some jurisdictions, as a way of ensuring same-sex couples are “legally covered” and are able to have families.
He also reportedly called gay Catholics “children of God” and said they should not be ostracized from the religion.
Crucial Quote
“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” the pope said in the film. “I stood up for that.”
Key Background
Previous popes were often hostile toward LGBTQ issues, an immovable position that put them at odds with other Christian denominations and public opinion in many countries. Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ immediate predecessor, likened same-sex marriage to the Antichrist, and Pope John Paul II repeatedly criticized the push for LGBTQ rights. The church has also lobbied against efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States and abroad, encouraging Catholics to oppose marriage equality measures as recently as this year. Francis has been markedly more sympathetic: He supported civil unions when he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and as pope, he famously responded to a question about gay members of the church by rhetorically asking, “Who am I to judge?” Francis’s apparent support for some kind of legal recognition for LGBTQ couples is the strongest gesture in the church’s recent history.
Big Number
61%. That’s the percentage of American Catholics who favor same-sex marriage, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center poll. Catholic support for marriage equality has gradually increased in recent years, meaning the majority of U.S. Catholics are now at odds with their church’s official doctrine.