Catholic Church

News analysis by Philip F. Lawler, Catholic Culture - As the Synod on Synodality opens its deliberations in Rome, Pope Francis is declining to fill the traditional role of the Roman Pontiff: to speak with clarity, easing the spreading doubts on fundamental doctrinal issues. But in Laudate Deum he makes very clear and forceful statements on disputed questions that do not involve the fundamental deposit of the faith. Faithful Catholics might pray that, as they discuss the governance of the Church, the Synod participants might remind the Pope of his own proper teaching role, and the limits thereof.

By John Henry Westen, LifeSite News - Remember how during COVID Catholics were denied religious exemptions because Pope Francis had permitted them to take the jab despite its connection to abortion? Well that is about to play out now on priests who are asked to bless same-sex unions. Since the Pope has now given tacit permission for them leaving it up to priests to decide, they can now be held responsible for discrimination based on sexual orientation – which in many nations is considered a hate crime.

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews - Pope Francis has effectively told clergy that they can decide for themselves whether to “bless” homosexual unions... Responding to a dubia question submitted by five cardinals, as to whether or not the Church can ever accept as a “possible good” objectively sinful situations, such as same-sex unions, Pope Francis stated that “pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage.”

By Daniel Payne, CNA - In the earlier document Francis conceded that the Church “does not presume to settle scientific questions or to replace politics,” but in the exhortation this week the Holy Father took a more forceful line, criticizing those who “have chosen to deride [the] facts” about climate science and stating bluntly that it is “no longer possible to doubt the human — ‘anthropic’ — origin of climate change.”