Hi Brian Lehrer here, up next Brian Lehrer weekend.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, packaged together for you to listen to on the weekend.

So enjoy and I'll see you back on the radio Monday at 10 a.m. on WNYC and WNYC.org. Brian Lara up on. Brian Leraisis on WNYC.

Yesterday Pope Francis, as many of you have probably heard,

gave his approval to a declaration allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.

While moving beyond the previous statements, saying that God does not and cannot bless

sin,

it still falls short of fully endorsing marriage for gay couples.

Nevertheless, my next guest, Father James Martin, calls this a major step forward.

Father Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor of Outreach and LGBTQ

Catholic Resource. He is a consultant as they call it to the Vatican's DiCastery for communication and author of books including Come Forth, which is out

this year and learning to pray.

Father Martin always good to have you on the show.

Welcome back to WNYC. Thank great to be back tell me why this is

good news for priests and their parishioners well it's good news because it

enables us to bless couples, same-sex couples in a way that we were unable to do before.

I just bless my first one this morning actually.

And you know, it really turns around a statement that had come out two years

ago as you quoted God does not and cannot bless sin that really caused a lot of angst

I would say in the LGBTQ community which is includes their their families and friends so among many Catholics

So I think it's a great step forward a really pastoral response to a need in the church

And listeners we want to hear from Catholic listeners, lapsed or active, gay or straight, but especially

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