Pope Francis has clarified his stance on offering blessings to individuals in homosexual marriages.
In a recent interview with CBS News, a clip of which was released ahead of the full 60 Minutes segment airing on Sunday, the pope reiterated that he does not bless gay marriages, as it is not sacramental.
However, he affirmed his commitment to bless each person in a gay marriage, a decision he had announced last December.
“What I allowed is not to bless the union, that cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way,” Francis said through a translator. “But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone, for everyone. To bless a homosexual union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all.”
When asked about his previous statement, “Who am I to judge? Homosexuality is not a crime,” the pope reaffirmed his stance, saying, “No, it’s a human fact.”
At 87 years old, Pope Francis stated he is in good health but has been using a wheelchair since 2022. Despite this, he has continued to perform many of the Catholic Church’s rites this year without leaving his wheelchair.
Recently, Pope Francis participated in the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, organized by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation, an organization he started in 2021.
The event was the second of its kind and brought together leaders including 30 Nobel Prize winners, Italian national football team head coach Luciano Spalletti, Fiat CEO Olivier Francois, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
