[redleghunter]

Pope’s answer, “Marriage is between a man and a woman. Secular states want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of cohabitation, pushed by the demand to regulate economic aspects between persons, such as ensuring health care. It is about pacts of cohabitating of various natures, of which I wouldn’t know how to list the different ways. One needs to see the different cases and evaluate them in their variety.”

Yes a carefully stated answer and fully understand what he meant by it. However, why did Pope Francis "let it hang out there" the 'evaluate them in their variety.' That part I don't understand. For what the Roman Catholic church stands for on morals is clear, no? Why would there be need to examine something which is clearly against church doctrine...unless one is considering to lower the bar a bit?

[livius]

I think he was referring to the laws. If they try to make the civil partnership exclusively sexual, for example, and even call it “marriage,” this would not be acceptable. However, if they simply let any person establish a household with another person (for example, a mother and adult child living together or even just two old friends) for tax and insurance purposes, then it’s simply a civil partnership that has no moral implications.