Pope canvasses support for gay and lesbian as he throws more light on rules of the church

Pope Francis has on Friday charged churches around the world to show harms of love to gay and lesbian. The pontiff called on churches to be more tolerant in practice, while not changing any official doctrines.

He emphasizes that  ‘unjust discrimination’ against gay men and lesbians is unacceptable, downplays the idea of
living in sin, and suggests that priests should use their own discretion on whether divorced Catholics in new marriages can take Communion.

He urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gay men and lesbians, divorced Catholics and other people living in what the church considers “irregular “situations.

 According to him, “A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws … as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives.

“By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth,” he writes.