Hazel_92 🦚

During the General Audience today, Pope Leo spoke about his recent apostolic visit to four African countries, describing it as "an invaluable wealth for his heart and for his ministry."

BREAKING | Pope Leo XIV affirms informal blessing for homosexual couples and downplays sexual sin

Pope Leo's "Who am I to judge?" moment: "We tend to think that when the church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual, and in reality, I believe there are much greater and more important issues..."

"the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide." - CCC 2267 Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to participants gathered at DePaul University in Chicago for the 15th anniversary of Illinois' abolition of the death penalty. The Holy Father's address drew on the Church's consistent teaching that the dignity of every human person must be protected at every stage of life, including at its end.

Vatican sources have been saying for some time that Leo is *significantly* more conservative on sexual morality than Francis. Today we learned beyond doubt that their assessment is correct.

To answer questions I've been getting about the Holy Father's comments on blessing same-sex couples today, in a press conference on his way back to Rome: First, we should trust the discernment of the Holy Father in this, as in all things. In addition to his teaching role as the Vicar of Christ, Pope Leo XIV is a kind, wise, thoughtful and prayerful man. And what he says, even in a press conference, needs to be seen in light of this, and appreciating his knowledge of the needs of the universal church. In terms of his comments, it seems, at least to me, that Pope Leo is not abrogating "Fiducia Supplicans," the Vatican document from 2023 that allows priests, under certain conditions, to bless “same-sex couples.” (That’s the language used.) One of the many conditions was that these blessings would not be formalized, that is, as a kind of planned liturgy. To that end, the German bishops' proposal would be, as I read it, to formalize these blessings more, a move that flows out of the German bishops' sincere desire to listen to the voices of German Catholics raised during their synodal processes. But the Vatican (and the Holy Father) oppose this move, as the Pope said today. Overall, though, "FS," even though it has proven controversial in some parts of the world (while warmly welcomed in others), still stands. The Holy Father's larger point is that to move beyond "FS" would be to risk unity in the church, and he is correct. One of the things that was hammered home for me in the Synod was how things that can seem tepid in the West ("What's the big deal about blessing same-sex couples?," as I heard often) are white-hot in other parts of the church ("Fiducia Supplicans is blessing sin," as I heard just as often). One of Pope Leo's overall desires for the church is for unity, which he restated again today. (Remember that his papal motto is "In the One, we are one.") His perhaps even larger point was that the church is for all people, for "tutti, tutti, tutti," as he has said several times now, quoting Pope Francis. A church for everyone, including LGBTQ people. Including everyone. (By the way I wouldn’t read too much into his calling the Pope’s phrase “infamous,” before saying “famous.” It must have been an exhausting trip and he also said the church values life “from conception to natural birth,” when he clearly meant “natural death.” We shouldn’t parse slips of the tongue, especially after a grueling journey.) At least this is how this seemed to me after listening to his wise, careful and thoughtful response today, after an exhausting trip. Let's continue to pray for our Holy Father as he seeks to balance many things in the church we all love. And let's continue to trust Pope Leo in his ongoing discernment about these matters, and in all matters.

"There is a Pope Leo who doesn't sit well, who finds no echo in the big newspapers, who isn't applauded by the unified media. It's the one who, during his pastoral journey in Africa, takes up the great lesson of Ratzinger and Wojtyla on the 'right not to emigrate'..."

"His concern for the slaughtered peoples of Africa, alongside his strident calls for international peace & respect for civilian populations, shows that though Leo is from America, he is the Pope of the entire Church & world." Analysis on Leo XIV, Trump & Africa

Meg should post this photo on her IG 😂