Homosexuals can and should be accepted into the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said Monday as he returned from a triumphant weeklong visit to Brazil. "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" The New York Times said Francis asked in response to a reporter's question.
The pope's comments were made during an 80-minute press conference with reporters on his flight back to Rome, his first meeting with press since he was named pontiff in March.
He also defended gays from discrimination, RTE News reported.
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says they should not be marginalized because of this [orientation] but that they must be integrated into society," he said.
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