Pope Francis’ judgment: “the family is between man and woman”

Speaking to reporters on a flight back from the World Youth Day in Brazil, Pope Francis reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church’s position condemning sin, not sinners. He explained: «If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well, they should not be marginalised because of this but that they must be integrated into society».

If this is the position of the Church regarding our gay brothers, the Pope’s view on marriage and family was delivered a month later with the message of the pontiff during the 47th Social Week for Italian Catholics: «the Church offers a concept of the family rooted in the Book of Genesis, which is based on the complementariness between men and women, and the fertility of this union. In this fact we identify a common good, the first natural society, as also defined in the Constitution of the Italian Republic», explains Francis. «We want to reaffirm that the family understood in this way is still the first and foremost subject to build society and the economy on a human scale, and as such deserves to be actively supported». To support all this faith is not essential: «these reflections do not interest only believers but all people of good will, all those who care about the common good of their country».

Like Pope Benedict, even Francis pointed his finger against the «consequences, positive or negative, implied by our cultural and political choices regarding the family». Consequences that «influence diverse aspects of life within a society and a nation: from the demographic problem, which is severe in all continental Europe, to other issues related to work and economy in general, to parenting, up to those questions pertaining the very anthropological scheme which stands at the core of our civilization».

The editorial staff