VATICAN CITY (CNS) – People who act shocked that a priest would bless a gay couple but have no problem with him blessing a crooked businessman are hypocrites, Pope Francis said.

“The most serious sins are those that are disguised with a more ‘angelic’ appearance. No one is scandalized if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people, which is a very serious sin. Whereas they are scandalized if I give it to a homosexual – this is hypocrisy,” he told the Italian magazine Credere.

The interview was scheduled for publication Feb. 8, but Vatican News reported on some of its content the day before when the magazine issued a press release about the interview.

    • @Matriks404@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I am an (agnostic) atheist, but let’s be clear: not all priests are pedophiles, this is a huge exaggeration. But I still think they should be able to marry and have children, like normal people. And I believe that this would at least stop some of them doing pedophilic acts.

      • Ghostalmedia
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        4311 months ago

        Pedos are going to pedo, but if you only recruit from an audience of people that are actively trying to avoid romantic adult relationships, I imagine going to have a higher percentage of pedos in that group.

        By allowing priests to marry, be LGBTQ+, etc, you’re going to have fewer open seats at the alter for pedos.

        • @jol@discuss.tchncs.de
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          611 months ago

          I would even challenge that pedos are going to pedo. Obviously there’s no research on this, but are pedos only attracted to children? Are all pedophiles also rapists? I find that hard to believe. I think that “child molesting priests” are an intersection of priest, pedophile, rapist, and sexually frustrated.

          • kase
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            611 months ago

            If the wikipedia page is accurate: some pedophiles are only attracted to children ("exclusive pedophiles), but some are also attracted to adults; and not all pedophiles commit rape.

          • @gapbetweenus@feddit.de
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            -211 months ago

            No, not all pedophile are rapist but almost all consume materials that were produced by raping children. One problem is that there are only a few programs that actually targeting helping pedophiles to deal with their condition. So we leave them on their own to figure out how to deal with their condition.

      • @gapbetweenus@feddit.de
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        711 months ago

        It would also help if church would actually punish (by assisting police investigation) and kick out offenders instead of covering up and moving them around.

    • @NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      1211 months ago

      Free room and board? They don’t even hold you to a vow of poverty, the Monsignor at my (former) diocese drove a Mercedes, just like Jesus would have wanted for him.

    • @Marin_Rider@aussie.zone
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      111 months ago

      if thats why you think people become priests, I’m more concerned that you consider child rape to be an incentive.