Clearly, O’Donnell did not read my articles about what Pope Francis has actually penned on the subject or what the Vatican has lately declared on gender ideology (sad!). But Pope Francis — as he stated in his interview — has never defended the blessing of a same-sex couple insofar as the blessing refers to their union. He has, rather, advocated the blessing of individuals who are same-sex-attracted but seek to live in communion with church teaching, who have sent out “a plea to God for help, a supplication to live better.”

The pope immediately clarified this distinction with O’Donnell and, in doing so, did not mince his words (which are here translated from his native Spanish).

Pope Francis: No, what I allowed was not to bless the union. That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way. But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone. For everyone. To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church.

Pope Francis quickly affirmed that the church cannot “progress” or “move forward” on the doctrine of matrimony. The sacrament of marriage, between one man and one woman, reveals a divine truth about human beings — i.e., “The Lord made it that way.” While much more likely to embrace liberal rhetoric on topics of migration, climate change, and pacifism, Pope Francis has never tried to change unchangeable doctrine.