Pope Francis attacks SSM

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

He's merely upholding the Church's doctrine. I don't agree with him, but did you really expect the Pope to avoid what is after all an important social issue?

[Beezer]

As I've said a hundred times, JPII>>>>Francis. (I don't hate Francis whatsoever despite constantly disagreeing with him - I can only hope that isn't blasphemous.)

By what conceivable measure is it possible to say that John Paul II was better on this subject?

Oh not this subject of course, but as a whole, Francis feels the need to inject commentary on every economic subject as well. You may like that quite a bit more as a Democrat, but I can't stand the need for major theatrics chastising us for things he has little business talking about. And the rhetoric can be really far left sometimes.

How come the Pope has no business talking about economics when he has always seen himself as a major champion of the poor? To be perfectly honest, his outspokenness on economics makes far more sense than any sort of of strong stance on SSM, considering that there are considerably more poor people than gays.

[Tender Branson]

Looks like Francis did finally lay off the sheep's clothing and the chalk ...

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

What is SSM? Some financial thing?

[afleitch]

Pope Francis is vacuous. He says many things, all of which have to be 'clarified', but in terms of changing anything, well he's not going to. Nothing is going to change in Catholic policy towards LGBT people or women and so forth. It's a hill it's already chosen to fight and die on like so many other Christian denominations. What Benedict said with a grimace, Francis says with a smile. If anything, that's worse.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Pope Francis is vacuous. He says many things, all of which have to be 'clarified', but in terms of changing anything, well he's not going to. Nothing is going to change in Catholic policy towards LGBT people or women and so forth. It's a hill it's already chosen to fight and die on like so many other Christian denominations. What Benedict said with a grimace, Francis says with a smile. If anything, that's worse.

Speaking as someone who has lost a lot of his sympathy toward the Pope recently, this is unfair. He was a handful votes away from ushering in a full-fledged doctrinal revolution in the last Synod on Family, and is set to try again a couple years from now.

[Famous Mortimer]

The only thing Pope Francis has changed is that now pets can go to heaven.

[Ebowed]

The only thing Pope Francis has changed is that now pets can go to heaven.

I wonder if that goes for farm animals too.

[Panda Express]

The only thing Pope Francis has changed is that now pets can go to heaven.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It is a "winning issue" in many, many other parts of the world, though, particularly where the Church is seeing growth.

Sure, but the Western world is central to financing the church  + Europeans are massively overrepresented in church leadership - my impression is that while they want to expand in Africa/Asia there was a genuine attempt to tone down some of the most divisive social issues (though of course not abortion) in order to stop or delay the bleeding in Western countries.

I think this particular pope is not particularly likely to say things just to please donors, which is as it should be for a religious leader. (And for politicians too, but it's not quite as unexpected when they do so since in their line of work they need to appeal to the widest possible audience.)  Besides, I sincerely doubt Western liberals are providing much funding for the Roman church.