Editorial: Leo’s caution on same-sex blessings today leaves the door open for tomorrow
Posted on May 1, 2026, by Loretto Community
Posted by National Catholic Reporter, May 1, 2026
Pope Leo XIV’s recent in-flight answer to a question about blessing same-sex couples exhibited a preference for not exacerbating divisions within the church over pushing the limits on polarizing issues.
His answer, however, did not occur in isolation, not on the plane and certainly not in the context of other pronouncements over the first year of his pontificate. In the broader view, it might be said that Leo is conducting an ongoing seminar on two significant themes: how change in the church occurs and that matters of morality include far more than a few issues involving sexuality.
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Perhaps most exemplary of the possibility of change was the cordial and encouraging personal visit Sr. Jeannine Gramick, founder of New Ways Ministry, had with Pope Francis. That moment signaled a sea change in attitude from the decades of harassment and punitive action she underwent at the hands of church officials.
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Read the entire story on the NCR website.
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