Pope Francis corrects CBS anchor over Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex couples

In a  Sunday interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Pope Francis addressed misunderstandings regarding the Catholic Church’s stance on blessings for same-sex couples.

The Pope clarified that while individual blessings are permitted, blessings of same-sex unions are not.

During the interview, CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell asked the Pope about an apparent shift in Vatican policy, referencing his approval of blessings for Catholics in same-sex unions. The Catholic Church traditionally views marriage as an indissoluble union between a man and a woman.

“Last year you decided to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples,” Ms.  O’Donnell said. “That’s a big change. Why?”

“No, what I allowed was not to bless the union,” the pope said. “That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way. But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone. For everyone. To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all.”

The Pope’s remarks, translated into English, emphasized that blessings are meant for individuals, not for unions that contradict Church teachings. He further explained that some people were scandalized by this, but reiterated that blessings are available to everyone.

In October, Pope Francis sent a letter to two conservative cardinals, suggesting that blessings could be offered under certain conditions, provided that the recipients did not confuse the blessing with the sacrament of marriage. Initial media reports at the time mistakenly suggested that the Church had begun endorsing same-sex marriages. The Pope’s intent was to affirm that all people are worthy of blessings.

When Ms.  O’Donnell noted his past comments about homosexuality, Pope Francis replied, “It is a human fact.”

Addressing criticism from conservative bishops in the United States, Ms. O’Donnell asked how he responds to their opposition to his efforts to revisit teachings and traditions.

“You used an adjective, ‘conservative.’ That is, conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that,” the Pope said. “It is a suicidal attitude. Because one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box.”