[utahagen]

I agree with you, except that to be married by the POPE — as opposed to an ordinary priest, away from the press — is a special honor — not officially, but certainly in the eyes of the world — and to give such an honor to people who have been shacking up sends a message that overshadows the one that you and I agree upon: that the couple should get married.

[Pollster1]

I agree with you, except that to be married by the POPE — as opposed to an ordinary priest, away from the press — is a special honor — not officially, but certainly in the eyes of the world — and to give such an honor to people who have been shacking up sends a message that overshadows the one that you and I agree upon: that the couple should get married.

Personally, I think the message is more the one Jesus sent when he ate with tax collectors and other sinners. We should reach out to those most in need of help and guide them toward living more moral lives. A real marriage is a huge step in the right direction, and if this sacrament for a few by the Pope guides innumerable other couples into rectifying that error in their own lives, I'm all for it.

[SpirituTuo]

I understand your thinking, and yes, there are certainly “optics.” However, as Bishop of Rome, he must shepherd Romans. Romans, like much of the rest of western Europe, have forgone marriage. Fortunately, these people, for whom the Pope presided, have seen the value of the sacrament, and are seeking to live in it, regardless of their pasts.

What shepherd doesn’t leave his 99 behind?