Dem lawmaker praises pope for openness toward gay priests

Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) praised Pope Francis on Monday, after the pontiff suggested he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation.

“Who am I to judge?” Thank you, #Pope Francis. As a practicing Catholic, I never doubted this day would come.#LGBT

— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) July 29, 2013

{mosads}The pope made the remarks during an impromptu 90-minute interview with reporters as he flew home from Brazil.

Asked how he would respond to finding out a cleric was openly gay but not sexually active, the pope responded: “Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?,” according to reports.

“You can’t marginalize these people,” he added.

Pope Francis also dismissed questions about the presence of a “gay lobby” in the Vatican, but said that such a group would be an issue for the Catholic Church.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), an openly gay congressman, seized on that remark.

Pope Francis accepts #lgbt priests as long as they aren’t part of the “gay lobby”
http://t.co/y3UyW8PX1x

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) July 29, 2013