One of the missions of Pope Francis’ papacy is to make the Catholic Church a less judgmental and more affirming institution. Critics will say he has not gone far enough while conservatives believe he crosses the line. In January 2024, a Vatican document, Fiducia Supplicans, approved blessings for same-sex couples.
Many took issue with this change in policy, especially clergymen from Africa. The pope had strong words about the pushback in an interview with the Italian Catholic magazine Credere published on February 8, 2024. He called the critics hypocrites.
“Nobody gets scandalized if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps exploits people, and this is a very grave sin,” Francis stated. “But they get scandalized if I give them to a homosexual. This is hypocrisy.”
While Francis has defended the blessings, he also points out that they do not mean the Church formally approves same-sex relationships. The official doctrine is that gay sex is a sin but same-sex attraction is not. The Catholic Church believes a person with these feelings should try to abstain.
“When a couple comes forward spontaneously to ask for them, one does not bless the union, but simply the people who together have requested it. Not the union, but the persons,” the pope stated in a separate interview on January 26, 2024.
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Francis hopes critics will eventually come around to the blessings. He acknowledged the special circumstances African priests have to face. In many African countries homosexuality is illegal and punished with jail time or even death.
