Elected Pope after Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, Pope Francis I has consistently turned followers' heads with his actions. Most of these may seem blasphemous to devout believers, but they constantly make headlines suggesting the Church's leader is uncharacteristically progressive. At the same time, none of these controversial statements or actions have led to a permanent change in the Church's doctrine. Take a look at four other times Pope Francis did or said something controversial that led to no permanent change.
When he refused to stand above others at his inauguration
Francis was the first Pope in recent memory not to stand on a platform above other high-ranking members of the Church at his Papal inauguration. This departure from tradition presented Francis as someone who values humility. Regardless of how genuine the act was, it was great PR.
When he refused to pass judgment on gay people
"If someone is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?" This was Pope Francis' response in 2013 to a question about rumors of a 'Gay Lobby' existing within the Vatican. While not an endorsement or embrace of homosexuality in any way, the Pope's response showed unprecedented flexibility from the leader of the Church. Looking beyond the inflammatory headlines his statement caused, the Pope's didn't stray too far from the Catholic norm. In the same interview, he noted being gay is not a sin, but homosexual acts are. So being gay is acceptable, so long as gay people don't embrace who they are and live their lives.
When he allowed a temporary window for priests to forgive women who have had abortions
In December of 2015, Pope Francis announced he was empowering priests worldwide to grant forgiveness to women who confessed to abortion. However, he didn't extend this power indefinitely. However, he only gave priests the power to forgive abortions for less than a year between December 2015 and November 2016. Once again, the Pope addressed a heated topic in popular culture but stopped short of creating lasting change. In 2019, he equated abortion to "contracting a hitman" to solve a problem. Thankfully, women are taking controlof their place in the world. Even if the Pope believes there should be limits to their progress.
When he said Catholics shouldn't breed like rabbits
Without directly referencing methods of contraception, in 2015, Pope Francis suggested Catholics should be more responsible about having children. "God gives you methods to be responsible" was how he alluded to ways of avoiding pregnancy. Of course, we know abortion isn't one of them. This statement was open enough for people to make their own assumptions, giving the Pope plausible deniability. The Pope went on to say it's a misconception that good Catholics need to "be like rabbits." The Church has a history of being against contraceptives. The discrepancy here lies in that Pope Francis suggests the Church's followers need to reconsider their ways but refuses to explicitly acknowledge the contradiction of embracing modernity while sticking to 2000-year-old guidelines.
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