"Pope Francis on Monday continued to recast the Catholic Church?s image by focusing on its inviting,..."

Pope Francis on Monday continued to recast the Catholic Church?s image by focusing on its inviting, merciful aspects, this time shocking a planeload of reporters by saying of homosexuality: ?Who am I to judge??

?If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?? the leader of the world?s 1.2 billion Catholics said in a remarkably candid and off-the-cuff news conference en route to Rome from Brazil. ?They shouldn?t be marginalized.?

The pope?s seemingly casual remark was another example of his approachable style, which was on full display during his visit to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. He carried his own bag onto the plane and traveled around Rio in a small Fiat without being shielded by hordes of security. He met with recovering drug addicts in a hospital and condemned inequality in a visit to crime-ridden slums.

He made his comments about gays, signaling that the church looks on them as brothers and sisters, as he fielded questions from reporters for an 80-minute stretch, at times leaning on the back of an airplane seat as if he were just another passenger. With his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, reporters had to submit questions ahead of time, and the Vatican decided which ones the pontiff would answer.

? His predecessor made remarks that many gay Catholics interpreted as hostile. Even though Benedict called on Catholics to show ?great respect for [gay] people,? he oversaw the publication of a church document that called homosexual inclinations ?disordered? and called for men with ?deep-seated? gay tendencies to be barred from the priesthood. He also said same-sex marriage was insidious threat to the common good.

Source: http://inothernews.tumblr.com/post/56836531656

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