Axios: Pope Francis says U.S. conservatives have a "suicidal attitude" headshot Rebecca Falconer https://www.axios.com/2024/05/20/pope-francis-60-minutes-interview-takeaways

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Updated May 19, 2024 -

World

Pope Francis says U.S. conservatives have a "suicidal attitude"

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Rebecca Falconer

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Pope Francis being interviewed by CBS' Norah O'Donnell on "60 Minutes."

Pope Francis being interviewed by CBS' Norah O'Donnell on "60 Minutes." Photo: Adam Verdugo/CBS News/"60 Minutes"

Pope Francis responded to U.S. conservative bishops' criticisms of his progressive shift to Roman Catholic Church doctrine in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes" airing Sunday evening.

Details: The pope noted during the interview via a Spanish translator that the adjective "conservative" in such instances was "one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that."

He added: "It is a suicidal attitude. Because one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box."

Why it matters: Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has advocated for progressive issues and moved to make the Catholic Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people while at the same time upholding its historical views on the sacrament of marriage — angering some conservatives in the process.

Last year, he denounced laws that criminalize homosexuality and moved to clarify that transgender people can be baptized.

What he's saying: During his CBS interview that was a precursor to Monday evening's hour-long special, "Pope Francis: The First," the pontiff clarified his position on allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.

"What I allowed was not to bless the union," the 87-year-old pontiff told CBS' Norah O'Donnell. "That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. ... But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone," he added.

"To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all. Some people were scandalized by this. But why?"

O'Donnell noted that the pope had previously said that "homosexuality is not a crime," to which Francis replied: "It is a human fact."

Zoom in: The pope also criticized Texas officials' efforts to shut down a Catholic charity that offers undocumented immigrants humanitarian assistance as part of a wider crackdown at the state's border with Mexico.

"That is madness. Sheer madness. To close the border and leave them there, that is madness," he said.

"The migrant has to be received. Thereafter you see how you are going to deal with him. Maybe you have to send him back, I don't know, but each case ought to be considered humanely."

On surrogacy, the pontiff said in the "strictest sense of the term" it is not authorized by Vatican doctrine.

But when O'Donnell noted sometimes this was the only hope for women, Francis replied: "It could be. The other hope is adoption."

He said in each case the situation "should be carefully and clearly considered, consulting medically and then morally as well."

The pope said he thinks there's a general rule in these cases, "but you have to go into each case in particular to assess the situation, as long as the moral principle is not skirted."

He then told O'Donnell she was right in her assertion. "I really liked your expression when you told me, 'In some cases it is the only chance,'" he said. "It shows that you feel these things very deeply."

Go deeper: Pope Francis on U.S. border crisis: Migration "makes a country grow"

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from Pope Francis and further context.

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