Commonwealth Policy Center

Pope Francis approved a document which allows priests in the Roman Catholic Church to bless same-sex couples. And it’s created controversy. The Catholic Church has traditionally taught that homosexual acts are sinful and that sex is reserved for marriage between a man and a woman. But this new document suggests that priests should imitate the pope’s “fatherly and pastoral approach” by not requiring a comprehensive moral evaluation before blessing couples. Is it really a “pastoral approach” to bless a lifestyle that the Bible says is sinful and immoral? One writer described it as strategic ambiguity. We live in a day of sexual autonomy and moral confusion, and the Pope would have done better to double down on man/woman marriage which leads to flourishing for all mankind.