Did Cardinal Dolan just say Pope Francis was HIGH when he answered a question about gays?

Cardinal Dolan has posted an insightful blog regarding the much lauded comments from Pope Francis regarding gays and the Church. While the mainstream media insists on suggesting a change is coming regarding Church teaching on the issue, Cardinal Dolan explains this is far from fact.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "Well, since everybody else is talking about it, I guess I should," Cardinal Timothy Dolan wrote in his blog Wednesday.

Cardinal Dolan was referring of course, to the comments made by Pope Francis regarding gays, which have stolen much of his thunder from World Youth Day.

"One wonders," Dolan wrote, "if the Holy Father is frustrated by all this attention to his interview.  For six days he spoke powerfully about lofty issues such as friendship, service, trust, joy, hope, love for the poor, humility, discipleship, faith, and simplicity.  Those words got a bit of coverage.  The 'hot button' issues such as women's ordination, contraception, divorce and remarriage, abortion, homosexuality, or celibacy, as I noted in my blog Monday, did not seem of any concern to the three million youth, or to their beloved Pope Francis."

"But, as usual, the press predictably brought these weary issues up, and have given them more ink than any of the other noble themes that rang through Copacabana Beach. It's not the Church that is obsessed with those topics, but the media!"

It should be noted that all Pope Francis said regarding gays was this, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

The comment does not indicate any change in Church teaching, nor is it a signal that a shift is coming. It is merely a restatement of existing Church doctrine -a doctrine we might add that many people, even Catholics often get wrong.

Dolan explained, "So, his brief remarks on homosexuality were about mercy:  everyone has a welcome home in the Church; the Church considers unjust discrimination against any homosexual a sin;  and homosexual acts, which are contrary to Revelation - as are heterosexual acts outside of lifelong, life-giving, faithful marriage between one man and one woman - can always be healed by God's mercy.  And when God's mercy is sought, it is always given, the sin wiped away and forgotten; because of this, nobody - not the Pope, not a bishop, not a priest - can judge another!"

Catholic Online also covered this angle extensively both here and here. Dolan also pointed out that nobody, not even the Pope, can change Church teaching on these matters.

"And haunting all of the coverage "Dolan suggested" is the hint that we now finally have a Pope who will change the Church's ageless teaching.  Of course, Catholics know that the Pope, like all of us, is a servant of the truth of the Gospel, not a crafter.  Doctrine is a given; it is settled, inherited, faithfully passed on.  That's his duty, and he's sure doing it well."

Cardinal Dolan explained that Pope Francis was "on a high," meaning in good spirits, following the rousing success of World Youth Day in Rio. That event attracted over three million visitors, mostly youth, challenging the mainstream narrative that the Church is old, tired, and outdated.

It was also an opportunity for Pope Francis to refocus the faithful on a more important message that goes beyond gays and women priests and other hot button issues. Pope Francis called for bishops and priests to take to the slums and prisons, and for the youth to take to the streets to "stir things up" for the powers that be. Not that he is inciting a revolution, but rather he is asking us to change the world in a very real and discernible way - through daily, tender displays of mercy.

Cardinal Dolan had more to say. Read his entire blog post here.

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