▁capable ▁of ▁carrying ▁out ▁their ▁own ▁disc ern ment ▁in ▁complex ▁situations . ▁We ▁have ▁been ▁called ▁to ▁form ▁cons ci ences , ▁not ▁to ▁replace ▁them ." ▁And ▁he ▁as ser ts ▁that : ▁" Ind ividual ▁conscience ▁needs ▁to ▁be ▁better ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Church ’ s ▁pra xis ." ▁ ▁L GB T ▁issues ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁oppos es ▁same - sex ▁marriage . ▁He ▁spoke ▁out ▁against ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁proposal ▁to ▁legal ize ▁same - sex ▁marriage ▁in ▁Argentina , ▁which ▁was ▁en act ed ▁that ▁year . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁his ▁then - sp ok esp erson ▁said ▁" We ▁believe ▁that ▁we ▁must ▁propose ▁more ▁compreh ensive ▁civil ▁union ▁rights ▁than ▁currently ▁exist , ▁but ▁no ▁gay ▁marriage ." ▁His ▁support ▁for ▁civil ▁un ions ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁was ▁later ▁widely ▁reported . ▁ ▁As ▁po pe , ▁Francis ▁has ▁repeatedly ▁spoken ▁about ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁the ▁church ▁to ▁welcome ▁and ▁love ▁all ▁people , ▁regardless ▁of ▁their ▁sexual ▁orientation . ▁Spe aking ▁about ▁gay ▁people ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁" the ▁key ▁is ▁for ▁the ▁church ▁to ▁welcome , ▁not ▁exclude ▁and ▁show ▁mer cy , ▁not ▁condem n ation ." ▁In ▁July ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁he ▁said ▁" If ▁someone ▁is ▁gay ▁and ▁is ▁searching ▁for ▁the ▁Lord ▁and ▁has ▁good ▁will , ▁then ▁who ▁am ▁I ▁to ▁judge ▁him ? ▁The ▁C ate ch ism ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic