Why LGBT Catholics Are Skeptical Of Pope Francis' Apology To Gays

Pope Francis issued a sweeping apology to LGBT people on Sunday, calling for the Catholic Church to take ownership of the wrongs it has perpetrated against the bisexual, transgender, lesbian, and gay community. But many LGBT advocates say the pontiff’s words ring hollow, noting the Church has yet to change its official opposition to homosexuality and continues to fire people for being openly gay.

While speaking to reporters this weekend on a flight back to Rome from Armenia, Francis was asked to respond to comments made by a Catholic Cardinal in Germany who said the Church should apologize to LGBT people — especially in the wake of the horrific shooting earlier this month that left 49 people dead at a gay night club in Orlando, Florida.

“I will repeat what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: that [gay people] should not be discriminated against, that they have to be respected, accompanied pastorally,” Francis said. “The matter is a person that has that condition [and] that has good will because they search for God.”

Francis also voiced a tweaked version of his 2013 comments on gay priests, in which he asked, “Who am I to judge.”

“The questions is: If a person who has that condition, who has good will, and who looks for God, who are we to judge?” Francis said this week....
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/06/28/3793566/pope-francis-apology-lgbt/