The White House weighed in on the news that Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, reaffirmed Catholic teaching on the subject of gay marriage Monday, signing off on a document explicitly prohibiting priests from blessing same-sex unions.
President Joe Biden, Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted at her Monday afternoon press conference, disagrees with the Church’s stance despite considering himself a devout Catholic.
Back in November, the Vatican rushed to explain a comment on same-sex marriage that Pope Francis made in a documentary, in which he appeared to endorse the idea of civil unions and to suggest that there could be a path forward for the Catholic Church to recognize such relationships, according to NBC News.
At the time, the Vatican noted that Pope Francis, then archbishop of Buenos Aires, was speaking in favor of extending legal protections to same-sex couples, but that Francis did not suggest changing Catholic doctrine. Vatican officials pointed to a 2003 document stating, without reservation that, though the Church cares for and supports gay people, recognition “cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.”
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11.24.2024