Additionally, I think the pope is very much aware that not everyone agrees with the Catholic church’s idea of morality; instead it is more likely precisely because not everyone agrees with it, that he feels the need to stress those points, not least because as a religious leader it is his job to spread the faith.

Furthermore, his thinking is neither outdated nor outmoded; unlike a scientific theory where more evidence can be found, the evidence is (more or less) fixed for most religions, and only the interpretation of it can change (and, as history show, frequently does). Trends and current popular opinion does not really enter into it.

In summary, I think the pope follows his convictions, stands by them and tries to convince others of the correctness of his thinking in a non-violent fashion; that, in itself, is to be commended, as much as one might disagree with the opinions expressed. As such, blaming the pope for stating that gay marriage is bad is tackling the issue from the wrong angle; the real question is why a secular government should pay attention to it.