---
title: "Pope Francis can’t judge gays"
date: "2013-07-29T14:59:17+01:00"
modified: "2013-07-29T14:59:17+01:00"
url: "https://newhumanist.org.uk/2013/07/29/pope-francis-cant-judge-gays/"
post_id: 5862
categories: ["Uncategorised"]
---

# Pope Francis can’t judge gays

![Pope Francis](https://newhumanist.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/francis-in-rio.jpg "Pope Francis arriving in Rio")

Pope Francis gave a rather candid press conference on his flight back from Rio yesterday. Francis,[ fresh from rocking the Copacabana at World Youth Day](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324354704578635401320888608.html), answered journalists’ questions for a full hour and twenty minutes on board the 12-hour flight, remaining standing the whole time. Apparently, nothing was off-limits: the questions covered topics from the troubled Vatican bank to women in the Church and divorce. Of women, [Pope Francis said](http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-homosexuals-who-am-i-judge): “A church without women would be like the apostolic college without Mary. The Madonna is more important than the apostles, and the church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother.” Women with priestly ambitions needn’t rejoice yet though, as he continued: “On the ordination of women, the church has spoken and said no. John Paul II, in a definitive formulation, said that door is closed.”

The real whopper however came with the question of the “homosexual lobby” that [is said](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324354704578635401320888608.html) to hold some sway in Vatican. In a staggeringly accepting manner, the Pope [mused](http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-homosexuals-who-am-i-judge) about homosexuality and priesthood: “If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency \[to homosexuality\] is not the problem … they’re our brothers.” About the actual “lobby” the Pope [said](http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-homosexuals-who-am-i-judge): “There’s a lot of talk about the gay lobby, but I’ve never seen it on the Vatican ID card!”

As with the Pope’s previous statement about [atheists not necessarily](/articles/4172/correction-atheists-are-going-to-hell-says-vatican) being all hell-bound, we will now wait for corrections from Vatican officials.