Pope Francis to Do More Than Apologize to the Gay Catholic Groups

Leaders of gay Catholic groups praised Pope Francis for saying that all Christians and the Roman Catholic Church owed an apology to gays for previous mistreatment, even as the groups called on the church to take more concrete steps to repudiate past teachings and condemn anti-gay violence.

Pope Francis did not directly address the Orlando killings. But, he endorsed a comment of one of his top advisers who, soon after the Orlando attack, said that the church had marginalized gay people and should apologize.

"The church "must" not only apologize to a gay person it offended but must apologize to the poor, to women who have been exploited, to children forced into labor," Pope Francis said.

The Popes' outreach toward gays has been part of his broader effort to welcome people who have felt marginalized by the church. He made global headlines early in his papacy when he signaled a new openness toward gays when he famously uttered, "Who am I to judge?" Pope Francis' words raised hopes among some gay Catholics and others that he might make significant changes inside the church itself.

Some advocates even wondered if he might loosen the church's prohibition of same-sex marriage as part of his broader move to make the church more welcoming to unconventional families.