Hinting that changes could be coming to the Catholic Church, Pope Francis asked a large crowd to pray for God to make miracles out of ideas that some believers might consider "impure" or even "threatening."
Several hundred thousand pilgrims thronged to see the popular pontiff preach Monday at Los Samanes Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador, according to estimates provided by Ecuadorian officials. Waving flags from several South American nations – including Argentina, the Pope's homeland – the crowd cheered Francis like a native son.
Monday is the first full day of Francis' weeklong trip to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, three of the smallest and poorest nations in South America. In addition to the Mass, Pope Francis is expected on Monday to have tea with Ecuadorian political leaders, pray with a community of Jesuits and visit a cathedral in the capital city of Quito.
Before the Mass, the Pope visited a shrine and prayed with elderly Catholics and sick children.
In his homily, or sermon, the Pope referred to a highly anticipated meeting of bishops to be held in Rome this October. The Catholic leaders are expected to discuss changes to several controversial areas of church teaching, including divorce and homosexuality.
The bishops will "consider concrete solutions," Francis said, "to the many difficult and significant challenges facing families in our time."
"I ask you to pray fervently for this intention," the Pope continued, "so that Christ can take even what might seem to us impure, scandalous or threatening, and turn it … into a miracle. Families today need miracles!"
One proposal for the synod would remove the ban on divorced and remarried Catholics receiving Holy Communion. But several leading conservative bishops argue that the church can't change teachings on marriage that originate with Jesus.
At a preliminary meeting last October, conservatives also scuttled an early draft report that mildly praised same-sex relationships and said gays and lesbians have "gifts to offer" the Christian community.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/06/world/pope-ecuador-scandalous/