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Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY. — Pope Francis reached out to gays yesterday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them — while also condemning the Vatican’s reported gay lobby as a “serious problem”.The remarks to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a high-profile trip to Brazil appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI.

“If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?” the pope asked.
“The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That’s the most serious problem.” The pope had admitted in June that there was a “gay lobby” in the Vatican’s secretive administration, the Roman Curia, according to a Latin American Catholic website.

It followed earlier Italian media reports claiming that a secret report by cardinals investigating Vatican leaks included allegations of corruption and blackmail attempts against gay clergymen, and on the other hand, favouritism based on gay relationships

Francis also fielded questions about Battista Ricca, who was appointed by the pontiff to a key position at the troubled Vatican bank but is embroiled in allegations that he had gay relationships with male prostitutes.

The pope said he had ordered a “brief investigation but we found nothing on him”.
“I have not seen anyone at the Vatican who is registered as gay on his identity card,” he said, adding however: “We acknowledge that there are (gays).” — AFP.