By virtue of its definition, marriage can only be between a man and a woman, Pope Francis has said in a new book-length interview. “We cannot change it. This is the nature of things,” he said in a series of interviews with Dominique Wolton, a French sociologist and director of research at CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research). Published in French, the 417-page book, Politique et Société (“Politics and Society”) will be released on September 6. Excerpts have appeared online by agreement. When it comes to the true nature of marriage as well as gender, there is “critical confusion at the moment”, the Pope said. When asked about marriage for same-sex couples, the Pope said: “Let’s call this ‘civil unions’. We do not joke around with truth.” Teaching children that they can choose their gender, he said, also plays a part in fostering such mistakes about the truth or facts of nature. Pope Francis also referred to abortion as the “murder of an innocent person”. But he added: “If there is sin, forgiveness must be facilitated.” The Pope said that a woman who has had an abortion often “cries for years without having the courage to go see a priest”. For this reason he had given priests permanent permission to grant absolution to those who confess to having procured an abortion. Francis said the biggest threat in the world is money, and referred to St Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus talked about people’s love and loyalty being torn between God and money. “It’s clear. They are two things opposed to each other,” the Pope said.