Pope says Church must end obsession with gays, contraception, abortion

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis said the Catholic Church must shake off an obsession with teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality and become more merciful or risk the collapse of its entire moral edifice "like a house of cards". In a dramatically blunt interview with an Italian Jesuit journal, Francis said the Church had "locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules" and should not be so prone to condemn. Its priests should be more welcoming and not cold, dogmatic bureaucrats. …