Pope Francis encourages church to reach out to the divorced, gay community
Pope Francis spoke out about tolerance and inclusion in a recent interview, encouraging the church to reach out to the gay commuity and those who have been divorced.
The pontiff said both should be welcomed and supported in the church. According to Pope Francis, bishops should support “a family that has a homosexual son or daughter… (and consider) how can they raise him or her.”
He also said that remarried church members should still be permitted to have the role of godparents and serve as readers during Mass; according to the current rules of the church, remarried Catholics may not hold either role.
“It seems they are excommunicated de facto,” Pope Francis insisted, suggesting that the church should “open the doors a little bit more.” Francis did not address the issue of remarried Catholics receiving communion, but asked “Why can’t they be godparents?”
Conservative Catholics say Pope Francis is too liberal and criticize his beliefs. The pope said he is open to opinions of others.
“Resistance is now evident,” he said. “And that is a good sign for me,” that there isn’t “hidden mumbling when there is disagreement… It’s healthy to get things out into the open.”He revealed that the Vatican bureaucracy reorganiation will not be completed in 2015, and that he will travel to three Latin American countries and Africa next year in addition to already announced plans to visit Sri Lanka, the Philippines and the US.