May 21, 2018 – Pope Francis reportedly told a gay man that God made him gay.
Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest, met with the Pope two weeks ago. He said that his sexual orientation came up in the conversation because some bishops in Chile said he was a pervert who was lying about the abuse.
âHe told me, âJuan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter,’â Cruz said. ââGod made you like this and loves you like this and I donât care. The pope loves you like this. You have to be happy with who you are.’â
The Catholic Church has no official stance on the origin of homosexuality, so the comments donât represent a change in doctrine. The remarks show, though, that the Pope doesnât believe that people choose to be gay.
The Popeâs comments also show a shift of attitude within the church, said Christopher Lamb, Vatican correspondent for The Tablet.
In 2013, in response to a journalistâs question about the âgay lobby,â the Pope said, âWho am I to judge?â
Lamb said that the Popeâs remarks to Cruz go âbeyond âwho am I to judge?â to âyou are loved by God.’â
A spokesperson for the Vatican did not comment on the conversation Cruz had with the Pope.
Originally published on LGBTQNation