San Diego Gay and Lesbian News

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin has written to the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the CEO of Knights of Columbus – an affiliate of the Roman Catholic Church – calling on them to follow Pope Francis’ message of welcome and mercy for gays and lesbians.

“For the sake of LGBT Catholics, it’s essential that Pope Francis’ inspiring words lead to transformative change throughout the Church hierarchy.”

The new pope’s words are likely to have repercussions in a church whose bishops and priests in many countries, including the United States, often appeared to make combating abortion, gay marriage and contraception their top public policy priorities.

SDGLN Contributor the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle looks at Pope Francis and government funding, and wonders why our tax dollars fund anti-gay efforts.

The Pope: “If someone is gay, who searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?”

Slain AIDS activist Eric Lembembe was a faithful Catholic, so it is time Pope Francis speaks out to condemn violence and sectarianism against LGBT people by his Cardinals, Bishops and millions of followers.

Pope Francis acknowledged the existence of a "gay lobby" in the Roman Curia for the first time last week and suggested that he was considering taking action on it.

The selection of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis stirred immediate reactions by LGBT advocates, both in the U.S. and Argentina.