Pope Francis Says Catholic Church is ‘Obsessed’ With Gays, Abortion, Contraception, Stresses Need for 'New Balanced' Message

Six months into his papacy, Pope Francis has once again shocked the Roman Catholic Church after making unorthodox comments about homosexuality, abortion and contraception.

Two months ago, the pontiff fell into a swirl of controversy in and outside the church when he discussed homosexuality from a more accepting and tolerant standpoint, telling reporters, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" according to USA Today.

The pope's latest surprising comments were published in a lengthy interview released Thursday in which he criticized the church as "obsessed" with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, adding that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics.

"It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church's pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently," Francis told the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, editor-in-chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit journal.

In the interview, released in 16 Jesuit magazines worldwide, Francis says the church has been too focused on abortion, gay marriage and contraception and suggests finding a "new balance" to deliver the Roman Catholic message, the New York Times reports.

"We have to find a new balance," he continued, "otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel."

Instead of focusing on polarizing issues, the pope stressed establishing the church as a place of healing and mercy, rather than judgment and finger-pointing.

"We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods," Francis says. "This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."

He also insisted on rebranding Catholicism as a more inclusive church that is perceived as a "home for all."