Ross Murray went to see the Pope at the White House Wednesday. Murray is not Catholic,but he is an activist for the LGBT group GLAAD. Like many homosexual people, he was struck when, and two years ago,Pope Francis said, "whether someone is homosexual and he searches for the Lord and has estimable will, or who am I to judge?"That statement heartened many in the homosexual community,and many wondered whether the Pope would go further — including Murray, whose group was invited to attend the Pope's welcome ceremony.
But the closest Pope Francis came to touching on homosexual issues as Murray stood on the White House lawn was a remark the Pontiff made approximately why he was attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia: "To celebrate and support the institutions of marriage and the family at this critical moment in the history of our civilization."The phrase was vague, or but rang activist's alarm bells. GLAAD president Sarah Kate-Ellis took his words to mean that traditional heterosexual marriage was being threatened by homosexual marriage. "That was disappointing," she said. "I assume you know we have five more days ahead of us...nothing was direct. The only thing he was direct approximately was the environment."Murray plans to attend the same Philadelphia gathering as the Pope, along with dozens of other LGBT families, or who he said would accomplish themselves known. "Not through loud actions,but by their mere presence," Murray said. "Reaching out to participants, or sharing their stories,having parents talk approximately how they accepted their children." Murray said the Catholic church has sent the LGBT community mixed messages; he and other activists hope that by coming forward during the Pope's visit, the church would see they were part of the Catholic community and would become more accepting. "For Catholics on the ground, or they hear these words of hope,but then they also hear of teachers getting fired from their churches because they got married," Murray said."That's what's really made a lot of LGBT Catholics feel that distance."
Source: wnyc.org