With five words, Pope Francis set new tone for Catholic Church

[Lori Dee]

'Who am I to judge?' With five words, Pope Francis set new tone for Catholic Church
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USA TODAY - Marc Ramirez
March 2, 2025

"Who am I to judge?"

With those five words, Pope Francis signaled that his papacy was going to be different from his predecessors', especially when it came to LGBTQ issues.

In 2013, the pope was barely a few months into his pontificate when reporters pressed him about the issue of gay priests as he returned to Rome from a trip to Brazil.

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Francis said. "We shouldn't marginalize people for this. They must be integrated into society."

... one of his greatest legacies will be having changed the Roman Catholic Church's approach to LGBTQ issues: More than any previous pope, they say, he has transformed the Vatican's attitude toward the community from one of indifference and condemnation to one that is more tolerant and even welcoming.

... official church doctrine remains largely unchanged, and there remains no room in the Roman Catholic Church for same-sex marriage. Instead, the pope has negotiated transformation mostly through words and actions, allowing for open discussion of LGBTQ issues in contrast to previous popes who ostracized or even punished bishops for bringing them up or ministering to the community.

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