Now Pope Francis agrees that they're fine!

Even though most Catholic bishops and priests described them as sinful.

And often - homosexuals as unnatural and perverted. Denying the sacraments to them.

Francis now says they're all children of God, and deserve to have families.

Well done - that pope!

Yes. Good.

I am not sure I agree with them "deserving" families though, because it so often involves exploiting women and ripping babies from their mother.

Francis meant adoption - which has been possible here since 2005, under an Act passed some years earlier (for gay couples).

Same sex couples don't even have to in a Civil Partnership. Francis is slowly rewriting Cannon Law, and reversing historic Catholic doctrine.

Good on the Pope indeed. The religious have shown appalling intolerance and looked utterly ridiculous on this for decades.

But where does this leave the Catholic and other Churches who present the Word of God as immutable and outside of time and space?

Not so immutable that it is beyond being changed by the woke generation it would seem...

Perhaps they should just drop all the supernatural stuff and just "come out" as the giant corporation they are?

It is a momentous decision to make homosexuals legal - in Vatican terms.

Now it's ow OK for same-sex couples to adopt children, and for them to have 'family lives'.

For hundreds of years this was sinful, perverse and immoral. No gays should be let near children!

Soon - this will apply to Catholic clergy, just like Anglicans.

When I was growing up there was lots of gay Catholic priests in Ireland in the closet.

The views of Francis came out this week in a new documentary about his life as Pope - 'Francesco'.

And because they differ so dramatically from previous Catholic thinking on homosexuals (and unions), many feathers have been ruffled in Vatican City.

Including those of the previous Pope (now retired on health grounds), Benedict - who vehemently opposes Francis' sudden liberal proclamations.

Benedict (and his traditionalist supporters) had previously had previously described homosexual behaviour as deviant - amongst other things.

However the horse has bolted and Rome has had a major change of mind on homosexuality.

It's presumably no longer a sin - and these men and women can now take the sacraments. Or can they?

Francis was brave enough (seemingly with telling those in the Vatican) to suddenly change Cannon Law, that's been in existence for many centuries.

Seemingly since the Council of Elvira in the 5th century, and ratified by numerous synods, councils and Popes over time.

Many cans of worms are opened by this vollte-face - perhaps the most monumental in history; there are about 2 million Catholics.

One question as an example. What will the gay clergy (estimate at between 25 and 50%) do now? Come out of the closet, perhaps.

volte*

1.2 billion Catholics


But watch the Vatican power brokers

Francis will be forced to tow the line

'It was a personal thought - not reflecting Church doctrine'

The views of Pope Francis on this subject run completely contrary to those of the Vatican, which is now becoming extremely uneasy.

As the Catholic Church officially opposes such unions and tells its members to do so too, as part of its doctrine.

For the first time, its leader disagrees with the church; predecessors would usually have taken steps to change its teaching first, before declaring a different view.

Particularly when (for example) only 8 out of 33 staunchly Catholic countries - in Latin America - legally permit such unions.

Calls are being made for clarity from all over. Will such unions now be formalised/blessed in Catholic churches?