I woke up to Facebook and saw headlines saying “did you see what the pope said?”
This happens a lot.
Millions of Catholics are reading this morning stories like this one from Reuters:
Pope Francis said on Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way they had treated them.
Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome from Armenia, he also said the Church should ask forgiveness for the way it has treated women, for turning a blind eye to child labour and for “blessing so many weapons” in the past.
In the hour-long freewheeling conversation that has become a trademark of his international travels, Francis was asked if he agreed with recent comments by a German Roman Catholic cardinal that the Church should apologise to gays.
Now if you put a headline saying “Pope Francis seeks forgiveness for blessing so many weapons” this isn’t a story. Or even about women. Well maybe then too. The thing is, the pope seems to be saying that the Church should apologize to everyone for the failure of Catholics to live up to the gospel.
But Pope Francis has to be aware that many Christians will be confused by the Pope’s comments as they filter through the media. The truth is that saying right now that the Church should apologize to gays will lead many to think that the Church is changing its position on homosexuality.
Some say that he is happy with the impression he’s giving and delighting in the media’s adulation. Others say he’s following his own advice and “making a mess.”
Who am I to judge? (See what I did there?)
Two things I am certain of:
1) I shouldn’t get on Facebook this early.
2) Pope Francis should stop giving impromptu press conferences.
