[Pope Calls for More Tolerance and Less Judgment Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries] 
linger: "Pope Francis called for the church to be more tolerant and urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics, and other people living in what the church considers "irregular" situations.
"A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws ... as if they were stones to throw at people's lives," Francis writes in a sweeping paper outlining his stance on family matters. He urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules. "By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth," he writes.
He emphasizes that "unjust discrimination" against gays and lesbians is unacceptable, and downplays the idea of "living in sin." For those paying attention to Francis since he became Pope three years ago, his "apostolic exhortation" is unlikely to come as a surprise. He calls much more for tolerance and mercy than for judgment in the paper. The Pope tells priests that they should make decisions appropriate to their local conditions. "Each country or region ... can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs," he writes in a possible effort to satisfy both liberals and conservatives by decentralizing authority. Read more."
Related:
Pope Francis
Learns What Rick Warren,
Russell Moore,
N. T. Wright
Think about Marriage
linger: "Pope Francis called for the church to be more tolerant and urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics, and other people living in what the church considers "irregular" situations."A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws ... as if they were stones to throw at people's lives," Francis writes in a sweeping paper outlining his stance on family matters. He urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules. "By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth," he writes.
He emphasizes that "unjust discrimination" against gays and lesbians is unacceptable, and downplays the idea of "living in sin." For those paying attention to Francis since he became Pope three years ago, his "apostolic exhortation" is unlikely to come as a surprise. He calls much more for tolerance and mercy than for judgment in the paper. The Pope tells priests that they should make decisions appropriate to their local conditions. "Each country or region ... can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs," he writes in a possible effort to satisfy both liberals and conservatives by decentralizing authority. Read more."
Related:
Pope Francis
Learns What Rick Warren,
Russell Moore,
N. T. Wright
Think about Marriage 
