Pope Francis’s recent statement on the blessing of same-sex unions sent shockwaves through the global Catholic Church and the world at large. In response to an official set of questions posed by five cardinals known as a "dubia," the comments have been universally interpreted as a softening of the Church’s stance on the blessing of same-sex unions.

"We cannot be judges who only deny, push back and exclude," wrote Pope Francis . "As such, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or several people, that do not convey a wrong idea of a matrimony… pastoral prudence must adequately discern if there are forms of blessing, solicited by one or various persons, that don’t transmit a mistaken concept of marriage."

The circuitous answer was a departure from a 2021 statement made by the Vatican’s doctrinal office that answered the same question with a simple "negative."

Outlets across Catholic media, from the progressive  America Magazine  to the conservative  Catholic Herald , drew the same conclusion from the response: that Pope Francis had provided wiggle room for "pastoral prudence" in offering blessings for same-sex unions. Countless commentators and LGBTQ activist groups reacted similarly, including the controversial New Ways Ministry , which went so far as to thank the pontiff for the "allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples."

The global secular news media seemed to concur, with major outlets like NBC, CBC, AP, The Times of India, and BBC all running some variation of the headline: "Pope Francis signals openness to blessings for same-sex couples." Endless think-pieces about the implications of the alleged shift sprang up within hours. Secular activist groups issued praise for the Holy Father’s words, including a glowing statement from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

But despite the near-unanimous interpretation of Pope Francis’s response to the dubia, some dissonant voices within the American Church pushed back.

Mike Lewis, whose blog wherepeteris functions as a pro-bono PR firm for Pope Francis within the American Catholic media sphere, labeled the prevailing interpretation as "misinformation." According to Lewis, everyone in the world has it wrong but him (to the surprise of no one familiar with his work). Despite the blog’s limited reach and low credibility among serious Catholics (the occasional inspired Gospel reflection notwithstanding ), its efforts underscore the larger problem with the Pope’s comments on blessing same-sex unions and beyond — his insistence on ambiguity.

Indeed, it’s possible that Pope Francis did not intend to "signal openness to blessings for gay couples," as the Washington Post’s headline put it. It’s also possible that he did intend to signal a change. As ever, Pope Francis's intentions are difficult to divine. The Vatican’s refusal to issue a correction to the global media’s collective interpretation of the comments can itself be read in numerous ways: as callous indifference toward the spiritual formation of the faithful, as excessively slow reaction speed, or as evidence that no correction is necessary.

All this comes as the much anticipated Synod on Synodality begins in Rome, an event that has similarly baffled the faithful by its ambiguous nature. The meaning of the term "synod" itself has come under change in time for the event. Whereas past synods only featured the participation of Bishops, this one has been opened to hand-selected members of the clergy and laity, a list of people whom both sympathizers and critics regard as being conspicuously packed with ideological allies of the Pope.

The term "synodality" has also been hotly debated. Some define it as simply "walking together," while an official Vatican website defines the term as "a way of listening to each individual person as a member of the Church to understand how God might be speaking to all of us." As ever, no one seems to know how to interpret the Vatican’s intentions on a practical level. What exactly will this "way of listening" entail? It's hard to say.

Faithful Catholics would do well to pray for the Pope, as always, and for clear teaching on the moral issues of the day. Now more than ever, the faithful need the Church to instruct and lead with coherence and resolve. It wouldn’t hurt for the Vatican to talk a bit more about that Jesus guy, either.

Peter Laffin is a contributor at the Washington Examiner. His work has also appeared in RealClearPolitics, the Catholic Thing, and the National Catholic Register.