Pope may be open to gay civil unions

Pope Francis is reportedly considering changing the Catholic Church's centuries-old stance on homosexuality, suggesting he could give his blessing to gay civil unions.

The charismatic leader also said he was open to the idea of a greater role for women in the Church but restated that gay marriage was unacceptable in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.

"Secular states want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of cohabitation, pushed by the demand to regulate economic aspects between persons, such as ensuring health care," he said.

"It is about pacts of cohabiting of various natures, of which I wouldn’t know how to list the different ways.

"One needs to see the different cases and evaluate them in their variety."

The news has been welcomed by the gay community around the world as well as in Australia with the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convener Corey Irlam saying he welcomes the comments and hopes they are not retracted by Vatican spokespeople.

The Pope also used the interview to argue that women need to be "present in the places of the decision of the Church".

The popular Pontiff also used the interview to dispel rumours surrounding him.

Pope Francis said he does not want to be seen as a "sort of superman’’ but rather as a man who "laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else".

"A normal person" he said. 

Source: Corriere Della Sera

Author: Martin Zavan, Approving editor: Simon Black