"In some sense, the pope, like the president, is responsible [for the ban on gay seminarians], but it is not earth shattering....Interest groups are capable of making something that is not that important seem earth-shattering and, conversely, minimizing the downside of the proposals they advocate."


Sorry, but if you're a gay man who seriously believes you are being called by God to be a priest and the church tells you you either have to lie to your superiors about who you really are in order to proceed with your ministry or forget about it and do something else with your life, that is earth-shattering for the people involved. And since Pope Francis did verbally reaffirm B16's ban on gay seminarians, it matters not that he didn't sign any document to that effect - the ban still bears his imprimatur. That local reporter was right to ask MSW about that story because it is indeed newsworthy and MSW is wrong in downplaying its significance simply because it makes him uncomfortable.