Pope Francis tells gay man: 'God made you like this'

[yallerdawg]

Juan Carlos Cruz, who was sexually abused, says pontiff told him God did not mind that he was gay

Source: The Guardian, by Stephanie Kirchgaessner


A survivor of clerical sexual abuse has said Pope Francis told him that God had made him gay and loved him, in arguably the most strikingly accepting comments about homosexuality to be uttered by the leader of the Roman Catholic church.

Juan Carlos Cruz, who spoke privately with the pope last week about the abuse he suffered at the hands of one of Chile’s most notorious paedophiles, said the issue of his sexuality had arisen because some of the Latin American country’s bishops had sought to depict him as a pervert as they accused him of lying about the abuse.

“He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like this and loves you like this and I don’t care. The pope loves you like this. You have to be happy with who you are,’” Cruz told Spanish newspaper El País.

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It is not the first time it has been suggested Francis has an open and tolerant attitude toward homosexuality, despite the Catholic church’s teaching that gay sex – and all sex outside of heterosexual marriage – is a sin. In July 2013, in response to a reporter’s question about the existence of an alleged “gay lobby” within the Vatican, Francis said: “Who am I to judge?”

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Read it all at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/20/pope-juan-carlos-cruz

[Cracklin Charlie]

1. Pope is really good at boiling down the issues.

If you were born, and are gay...you were born that way.

Anything else is ridiculous. Love is love.

[Voltaire2]

2. Just don't have sex or get married. Also don't adopt.

Plus we will continue to fight against equality all over the world.

More of the usual double-speak from Jorge “pope” Bergoglio. No actual change in policy.

[yallerdawg]

4. Except LGBTQ people are having sex, getting married, adopting.

All over the world.

Things are progressing. Even with the pope.

[Voltaire2]

5. Despite the best efforts of the RCC.

Bergoglio’s “new” message is the same message the church has been pushing for a long time: “love the sinner not the sin”. It is homophobic bullshit.

[yallerdawg]

6. That doesn't sound like the same message.

But of course this could be a "Laurel or Yanny" interpretation.

[Cartoonist]

8. Does this?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218283213

[Lordquinton]

7. Despite the pope's best effrorts

things are progressing. He travels the world urging countries to ban marriage equality.

[uriel1972]

9. Despite this church, despite this pope... nt

[Doreen]

3. At this point after hearing about this pope for some time

he almost makes me want to become Catholic ( I said almost and not really. ) I do however like this guy and he has common sense.