New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan expresses his opinion regarding Pope Francis' orders for the church leaders to study civil unions and wants to "look into" the appeal of gay marriage.
In an interview with NBC News Program "Meet the Press," Cardinal Dolan pointed out that Pope Francis was asking an open ended question.
"Pope Francis wants the Catholic Church to study same-sex unions," Cardinal Dolan said on the news program. "He didn't come right out and say he was for them. Once again in an extraordinarily sincere, open, nuanced way."
Cardinal Dolan further added;
"I know that some people and some states have chosen this. We need to think about that and look into it and see the reasons that have driven them. Rather than quickly condemn them, let's just ask the questions as to why that is appealing to certain people."
In an interview published last week by an Italian newspaper, Pope Francis reiterated the church's longstanding opinion that "marriage is between a man and a woman." But, he said, "We have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety."
The Vatican moved quickly to clarify the comments as Rev. Thomas Rosica, a consultant to the Vatican press office, said in a statement.
"The Pope did not choose to enter into debates about the delicate matter of gay civil unions. We should not try to read more into the Pope's words than what has been stated in very general terms."
But according to the Catholic News Service, it was the first time a pope has "indicated even tentative acceptance of civil unions."
When asked for his own views on same-sex marriage, Dolan said he is concerned it could "water down" the sanctity of traditional marriage.
"It's not something that's just a religious, sacramental concern," Dolan said. "It's also the building block of society and culture. So it belongs to culture. And if we water down that sacred meaning of marriage in any way, I worry that not only the church would suffer, I worry that culture and society would."
Dolan last year said the church needed to listen to all individuals - gay or straight - and not be "anti-anybody." His comments came just months ahead of the Supreme Court's June decision to overrule the Defense of Marriage Act, a major victory for same-sex marriage advocates. But he admitted the church's potential allowance of civil unions would make him uncomfortable.
"If we water down that sacred meaning of marriage in any way, I worry that not only the church would suffer, I worry that culture and society would," Dolan said, explaining his belief that the marriage between a man and woman is more than just a religious sacrament.
The number of states where gay couples can wed increased from one to 17, plus Washington, D.C., since 2004. Additionally, federal judges have struck down bans against same-sex marriage in Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Texas as msnbc previously reported.
More than 59% of Americans recently said they favor marriage equality, a record high measured in a poll earlier this month that indicated a more tolerant America. Comparably, a mere 38% supported gay and lesbian couples the right to wed in findings published 10 years ago.
Since being installed as pontiff in 2013, Francis has changed the tone coming out of Rome from one of exclusion to inclusion, irking some conservative Catholics in the process.
"I haven't sensed too much bristling among the conservatives," Dolan said. "They honestly will say, 'His style is a little different and might periodically cause us a little angst.' But in general they too seem to be rejoicing in what you might call the evangelical fervor, the good interest in the life of the church."
