Beloved Pope Francis Backs Slovakia's Referendum Against Gay Marriage

There is a reason why progressives are so fond of Pope Francis: Caring for poor people has been the hallmark of his papacy, and a year and a half ago he said the Catholic church had become too “obsessed” with gay marriage, abortion and contraception.

But now he’s marching to the beat of a different drum. Ahead of Slovakia’s referendum intended to strengthen its gay marriage ban, the pope chimed in and offered his support for the ban.

From Huffington Post:

Speaking at his weekly general audience on Wednesday, the pope said: “I greet the pilgrims from Slovakia and, through them, I wish to express my appreciation to the entire Slovak church, encouraging everyone to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society.”

Fortunately, it looks like his efforts didn’t influence the people of Slovakia too much.

The BBC reports the referendum has failed:

Only 21.4% of those eligible voted, the national statistics office said on Sunday, well short of the 50% required for the ballot to be valid.

Voters were asked three questions including whether marriage can only be a union between a man and a woman.

Slovakia’s population of 5.4 million people is predominantly Catholic.

Liberals and gay rights activists welcomed the outcome. They had encouraged people to boycott the referendum.

Hoping this sends a strong message to Pope Francis that he can once again be reasonable (and quiet) when it comes to social issues like these.