DETROIT – Pope Francis sent shockwaves through the world this week with an interview in which he criticized the church for putting dogma before love and claiming the church has grown obsessed with abortion, gay marriage and contraception.
His words are resonating here in Metro Detroit with local Catholics.
What the Pope said doesn't break with any church doctrine but it sure signifies a shift in attitude and sends the message that all are welcome.
Pope Francis has been the Pontiff for all of six months and he is shaking up the establishment. It started almost immediately when he showed how uninterested he was in the trappings of the job.
People in Metro Detroit sat up and took notice.
"I think he wants to make contact with normal people regular people," said Bob Stuckey of Royal Oak.
This week a bombshell interview was released and in it Francis makes it clear he has more on his agenda than abortion, gay marriage and contraception.
He said, "It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent."
"He's accepting of people of being human if John Paul II. could forgive the man who shot him should we not accept everybody, we don't have to agree with them but they're still God's children," said Marilyn Spurlock from St. Clair Shores.
Francis, the first Jesuit to become Pope, granted the interview to an Italian Jesuit journal. Its content was approved by the Vatican.