The Slatest

Slatest PM: The Pope’s Frank Talk on Gays, Abortion

Pope Francis waves after his general audience in St Peter’s square at the Vatican on September 18, 2013

Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images

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Let’s Be Frank: New York Times: “Pope Francis, in the first extensive interview of his six-month-old papacy, said that the Roman Catholic Church had grown ‘obsessed’ with preaching about abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he has chosen not to speak of those issues despite recriminations from some critics. In remarkably blunt language, Francis sought to set a new tone for the church, saying it should be a ‘home for all’ and not a ‘small chapel’ focused on doctrine, orthodoxy and a limited agenda of moral teachings. ‘It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time,’ the pope told the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, a fellow Jesuit and editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit journal whose content is routinely approved by the Vatican.”

A Few Key Snippets—

On Abortion, Gay Marriage, and Contraception: “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”

On Women’s Leadership: “We must therefore investigate further the role of women in the church. We have to work harder to develop a profound theology of the woman. Only by making this step will it be possible to better reflect on their function within the church. The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions. The challenge today is this: to think about the specific place of women also in those places where the authority of the church is exercised for various areas of the church.”

On How He Sees Himself: “Yes, perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naïve. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.” More snippets over at Washington Post; full interview here.

It’s Thursday, September 19th, welcome to the Slatest PM. Follow your afternoon host on Twitter at @JoshVoorhees, and the whole team at @Slatest.

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