Pope Francis does not rule out the possibility that there may be "forms of blessing" for same-sex couples, albeit distinct from marriage between a man and a woman. Responding to five dubia, the Pontiff explained yesterday-that the no to women priests formulated by John Paul II is a "definitive statement" but not a "dogmatic definition" and "can be object of study". Bergoglio also stressed that repentance is necessary for absolution, but there are also "many ways of expressing repentance", "there is no mathematics", and "the confessional is not a customs house". The issues were addressed in the responses to "doubts" that five ultraconservative cardinals (Brandmüller, Burke, Sandoval Íñiguez, Sarah and Zen Ze-kiun), among the most determined opponents of his reforms even during the Synods on the Family and the Amazon, had sent him ahead of the Synod on "synodality" in the Church that begins Wednesday. This is an important signal, and also a move to prevent the synod from splitting before it begins and leave the debate open to "discernment". If the "doubts" were meant to shut down some proposals, they fall short of the mark. However, Bergoglio's answers are an invitation to dialogue for all, as now Francis is rebuking the objections of traditionalists and at the same time cautioning ultra-reformers against leaping ahead.
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