Pope Francis greeted the leaders of an international association for LGBTQ Catholics at the end of his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 25.
The pontiff spoke with the co-chairs of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics, a coalition that draws together LGBTQ Catholic organizations from across six continents. Among U.S.-based members are DignityUSA, New Ways Ministry and Fortunate Families.
In an interview with National Catholic Reporter shortly after the encounter, co-chair Marianne Duddy-Burke said Francis was “incredibly gracious” and spent several minutes speaking with the group, which included co-chair Christopher Vella and two others.
Duddy-Burke, who is also the longtime leader of DignityUSA, said the four together thanked the pope for his comments earlier this year condemning countries that continue to criminalize homosexuality. She called the meeting “a big day for LGBTQ Catholics.”
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