What was he thinking? Sometimes you just have to wonder what is going on. There's no doubt that God loves gay people. God loves all people. But God doesn't approve of all behaviors. Pope Benedict represents the Catholic Church. Many believe he is the "official" representative of Christianity. In October he endorsed gay civil unions, no doubt for well-intended sentiments.
He says he opposes gay marriage because marriage is a sacrament of the Catholic Church. Moreover, assuming he's read Matthew 19:4-6 where Jesus talks about God's purposes for marriage, Jesus states that God made humanity male and female from the very beginning and established marriage to be between one man and one woman. The Jewish leaders at this time had a cavalier attitude toward divorce and Jesus, in correcting them, reminded them of what the Torah said, citing Genesis 2:24.
What's the difference between a "Civil Union" and "Marriage." Ostensibly, the difference has to do with the officiants. One is secular while the other may be a member of clergy. But the purposes of the institutions are the same. And the pope makes that point in his quotation:
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family," he says, "They’re children of God and have a right to a family." He added: “what we have to create is a civil union law... I stood up for that.”
For some, the word games or wordplay is more than a little frustrating. If God created marriage, the first human institution, then regardless of the officiant: a marriage is a marriage. The Pope can't have it both ways. If it is against God's will for a priest or other clergy to perform a marriage ceremony for a gay couple, then how can it be acceptable in the Pope's sight and God's sight for a judge or civil official to perform a civil or secular version (i.e. a civil union)? After all, as the Pope knows, the civil authorities, according to the Bible, (1 Peter 2; Romans 13) derive their authority from God.
Some suggest that this is a step in a longer process where Pope Francis hopes to set the table for normalizing gay marriage by setting the table for a successor to make an infallible papal declaration in the future. This type of activity is the practice of the Roman Catholic Church. Statements are made... without changing Roman Catholic Doctrine and they circulate and eventually, depending on the reception, an infallible declaration is made years, sometimes decades, sometimes 100 years in the future. You can learn more about how this works here.
In the meantime, many Catholics (including retired Pope Benedict) are left wondering what Pope Francis is up to. As a non-Catholic, I do not accept the authority of the Roman Catholic Church or the primacy of the Pope. As an interested observer, it is a head-scratcher.
As a Christian Pastor, I have compassion for homosexuals male or female. At the same time, God’s word is clear on the matter (Romans 1:18-32). Pope Francis well-intentioned as he might be has been unkind to heterosexuals and homosexuals by creating artificial distinctions between a church wedding and a civil union. If he believes civil unions for gays are needed, then he, likewise, needs to say that Roman Catholic priests are allowed to marry gay couples as well. From an integrity perspective, he can’t have it both ways.