Pope Francis criticized conservative church leaders in the U.S. saying they were acting dogmatically in an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes on Sunday evening where he spoke about several issues including blessing gay couples and Texas’ efforts to crack down on a Catholic charity aiding undocumented migrants.
Pope Francis said if someone was gay and was searching for "the Lord" then "who am I to judge?"
Speaking to CBS’s Norah O'Donnell with the help of a Spanish translator, the Pope addressed the criticism of his reforms by conservative American bishops saying a “conservative” was one who “who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that.”
He said this was a “suicidal attitude” and said these people were going beyond simply taking tradition into account and were rather “closed up inside a dogmatic box.”
When asked about his move to approve blessing same-sex couples, Francis clarified did not authorize blessing their union as “that is not the sacrament” but rather blessing individuals in a same-sex union because blessing are “for everyone.”
He added that some people were “scandalized” by this decision but he doesn’t understand why.
The Pope also addressed the Texas government’s effort to shut down a Catholic charity that offers humanitarian aid to undocumented migrants saying it was “sheer madness…to close the border and leave them there.”
He said each migrant must be received and authorities may then decide how to deal with them “Maybe you have to send him back… but each case ought to be considered humanely.”
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Francis said: “If someone is gay...and he searches for the Lord and has good will…who am I to judge?” When asked about his comment that that homosexuality was not a crime he responded “It is a human fact.”
This is a developing story.