Did Pope Francis change his mind on gay priests and religious?

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” we look at Pope Francis’ recent comments about homosexuality and religious life. His new book on consecrated life, “The Strength of a Vocation,” is based on a long interview and Pope Francis has a number of quotations that have made headlines around the world.

“The issue of homosexuality is a very serious issue that we need to adequately discern right from the start with the candidates, if that’s the case,” Pope Francis said. “In consecrated life and in priestly life, there is no room for this type of affection. For this reason, the Church recommends that people with this ingrained tendency not be accepted into the ministry or into consecrated life. Their place is not in ministry or in consecrated life.”

He ends the brief section by urging gay consecrated people to live their vows of celibacy.

On this week’s episode, we look at these comments in the context of the pope’s other famous comment on gay priests: “Who am I to judge?” We examine what Pope Francis’ pastoral history with gay and lesbian people can tell us about the intentions behind these new comments.

Read more:

• Understanding Pope Francis’ controversial remarks on homosexuality in the priesthood

Read full show notes

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