The Pope Opens The Church Door To LGBTs

“There’s no change on the Catholic Church’s view on homosexuality. He may have had his own Pope Francis way of putting it, different from maybe the way Pope Benedict would put it, but they’re saying the same things.”
Archbishop Allen Vigneron, spiritual head of metro Detroit’s 1.3 million Catholics

“The world evolves, and I believe that the Catholic Church is seeing that it is being left behind, and that is not good. So I think that they chose this Pope Francis because he is progressive, has to change things.”
Irene Delgado, 57, Havana, Cuba

“He knows that his highest and most sacred responsibility is to pass on the timeless teaching of the church. What he’s saying is, we’ve got to think of a bit more effective way to do it. Because if the church comes off as a scold, it’s counterproductive.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

“We find much to be hopeful about, particularly in the Pope’s firm desire that the Church be a ‘home for all people,’ and his belief that God looks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people with love rather than condemnation.” Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of Dignity U.S.A.

“We are called to love and support everyone in our community regardless of their sexual orientation. And, I might add, regardless of the gender of their spouse.”
Julie Sullivan, president of the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic school in Minnesota

Certainly, the church’s teaching is not going to change during a press conference on a trans-Atlantic flight. But he reminded us that whomever you’re interacting with, they should be welcomed and treated with sympathy and compassion and love. (Practicing gays) need to be accorded respect, compassion and support. That’s the Christian outlook of how to treat people.”
Most Rev. David Walkowiak, bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, as reported by MLive