According to the account of a recent visitor to the Vatican, Pope Francis has affirmed the lifestyle of homosexuality.

Juan Carlos Cruz, a gay survivor of clergical sex abuse, claims Catholicism’s Bishop of Rome told him during a discussion of church scandal, “God made you like that and he loves you like that.”

Cruz recounted the meeting to Spanish newspaper El Pais:

“He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, the fact that you’re gay doesn’t matter. God made you like that, and he loves you like that, and I don’t care.'”

As a child, the Chilean was victimized by notorious pedophile (and Reverend) Fernando Karadima. Cruz had a two-and-a-half hour talk with Pope Francis regarding his ordeal, during which they discussed his sexuality.

Cruz explained to the supreme pontiff he was not a bad person:

“They had told [the pope] that I was practically a pervert. I explained that I’m not the reincarnation of San Luis Gonzaga, but I am not a bad person, I try to not harm anyone.”

Francis then, as Cruz tells it, made a startling statement:

“The pope loves you [as you are], you have to be happy with who you are.”

Evidently, Catholicism’s big cheese being down with the Rainbow left Juan Carlos super psyched:

I spoke for more than two and a half hours alone with Pope Francis. He listened to me with great respect, affection and closeness, like a father. We talked about many subjects. Today I have more hope in the future of our church… Even though the task is enormous.

— Juan Carlos Cruz Ch. (@jccruzchellew) April 29, 2018

Some more traditional members of the Church may be less enthused.

However, this isn’t the first indication that Pope Francis is a little less fire and brimstone and a little more, “Let’s watch Will & (Amazing) Grace”: In a 2013 interview, he asked, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”

Ummm…who are you? You’re the Pope. You’re literally exactly the person to do that — you speak for God.

And as such, he suggested that same year that God does not “reject and condemn” homosexuals.

The LA Times jumped for joy over Cruz’s account, reaching out to pro-LGBTQ Rev. James Martin, who said, “This is a big deal, I cannot remember the pope making a comment about gay people being born that way.”

However, a representative for the Vatican wouldn’t confirm the story’s veracity for the Times:

“We don’t normally comment on the pope’s private conversations.”

Cruz’s story, of course, is one-sided. It’s anyone’s guess what was actually said or intended.

Nonetheless, one thing’s for sure: the Church is changing. Protestants, too. In this era where legislation is encroaching upon freedom of speech and societal pressures are felt by religious organizations to support what they have long spoken against, we are surely in for some considerable developments in the very near future.

Please give your thoughts about all of this in the Comments section below.

And check out my article on entertainment’s salute to Catholicism via the Met Gala RIGHT…HERE.

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