Pope Francis says church has been “small-minded”

In an interview published in 16 Jesuit magazines, Pope Francis of the Catholic Church touched on hot-button issues such as the role of gays in the church, abortion and the role of women.

“The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules,” Francis said in the interview, seemingly shifting from the former policy of condemnation. “Ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all.”

In what seemed to be a relaxed posture towards homosexuals, the Pope said “Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.

“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality,” the Pop continued. “I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being. In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation. It is necessary to accompany them with mercy.