Pope softer on divorcees, but not gays

– Pope Francis yesterday opted for no change in the Catholic approach to homosexuality but signalled a more open stance on cohabiting and divorced believers under new Church guidelines on family life.

In his 260-page “apostolic exhortation”, a long-awaited document which is likely to disappoint advocates of more radical change, Francis, pictured, strongly reiterates the Church’s opposition to the legal recognition of gay relationships.

But he signals a significant departure from the Church’s long-established and often severe condemnation of those “living in sin”, emphasising the many barriers, including poverty, that exist to couples marrying before a priest.

He urges local parishes to do more to embrace divorced believers who have remarried in civil ceremonies, implicitly indicating that, in certain cases, the Church’s ban on them receiving communion could be lifted.

An “exhortation” that generally reflects Francis’s desire to create a less judgmental, condemnatory Church, contains an acknowledgement that the institution he heads needs “a healthy dose of self-criticism”.

And it is not all complex theological issues.

One section urges parents to ensure their children remember to say please, thank you and sorry.

Another recommends breaking the humdrum of married life with an occasional party.

And brides-to-be are given some practical advice: don’t spend so much time planning the big day that you arrive exhausted at the altar.

Francis notes that bishops who reviewed Catholic teaching on same sex couples at synods in 2014 and 2015 had observed that “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family”.

While the exhortation also expresses opposition to “every sign of unjust discrimination” based on sexual orientation, it includes no positive language about gay relationships.

The area in which the missive arguably signals the biggest change to the Church’s 1.2 billion followers around the world is in its recognition of the value of the relationships of cohabiting couples.

The text also notes that some couples do not marry because of the expense involved. –

Vatican City