I think it's imperative that a pastoral leader of any church make it clear that homosexuality and abortion are 100% unacceptable WHILE not overlooking the other sins of divorce, cohabitation, greed, war-mongering, and disregard for the poor. I have a 'walk and chew gum' view of these things.
Some people are super tingly-feeling because they think the Pope is "off" the gay topic and onto bigger, 'better' issues addressing poverty. My angle is, "why not do both?" I think the best approach is the holistic approach of condemning sin period, and continuing to condemn the gay lifestyle, while addressing the downtrodden.
Why has the Catholic Church (and others!) had to address the gay stuff in recent decades more than in the past? Well, it's pretty obvious. In the 1950's, you didn't need to preach the evils of sodomy. Most Americans took that as a no-brainer. But as the media, the corrupt psychiatric community giving in to the gay lobby's pressures, and a host of other factors like Hollywood and pop brainwashing have all sought to convince Americans that being afflicted with Same-Sex Attraction is somehow healthy, normal, and laudable, the Church has had to weigh in. It's her duty to combat the sinful water-torture of the 'world.'
Predictably, the far left has gotten angry and created a false either-or scenario where, if you are against the gay lobby you somehow have forgotten the poor and all the other sins....which is bogus.
I can't tell the pope what to say nor will I criticize him, but I think the Church has been on the right track for years in addressing this and I think when the waters get muddied and you speak too vaguely and with too much 'understanding,' the media will RUN with it and manipulate "who am I to judge?" into really meaning, "hey, since all sin is sin anyway, why not be gay? The pope's ok with it! What's your hangup!?"
In 2013, specificity and being VERY clear is paramount!
We CAN care for the poor, stand up against unjust wars, fight for justice, and make a difference in the world WHILE not giving into sodomy and baby-killing as 'just another sin.'