Pope says Christians should apologize to gay people

Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians owe 

apologies to gays and others who have been offended

 or exploited by the church, remarks that some 

Catholics hailed as a breakthrough in the 

church's tone toward homosexuality.

"I repeat what the Catechism of the Catholic Church

 says: that they must not be discriminated against,

 that they must be respected and accompanied 

pastorally," Francis said at a press conference aboard 

the papal plane returning from Armenia.

"The Church must ask forgiveness for not behaving 

many times -- when I say the Church, I mean Christian

s! The Church is holy, we are sinners!"

As he often does during unscripted moments -- 

particularly papal news conferences -- the Pope spoke

 expansively, saying the church should seek 

forgiveness for a number of historical slights 

committed in its name.

Groundbreaking Moment

"I believe that the church not only should apologize to 

the person who is gay whom it has offended,

" he added, "but has to apologize to the poor, to 

exploited women, to children exploited for labor; 

it has to ask forgiveness for having blessed many 

weapons."

The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at 

large of America magazine, called the Pope's apology 

to gays and lesbians "a groundbreaking moment."

"While St. John Paul II apologized to several groups 

in 2000 -- the Jewish people, indigenous peoples, 

immigrants and women, among them -- no pope has 

ever come close to apologizing to the LGBT 

community. And the Pope is correct of course. First, 

because forgiveness is an essential part of the 

Christian life. And second, because no group feels 

more marginalized in the church today than LGBT 

people."

The Pope's comments came in response to a question

 about a German Cardinal who said the Catholic 

Church should apologize for being "very negative" 

about gays. The Pope was also asked whether 

Christians bear some blame for hatred toward the 

LGBT community, as horrifically demonstrated in the

 Orlando massacre at a gay night club that killed 49 

people on June 12.

Repeating the teaching of the Catechism of the 

Catholic Church about respecting and not 

discriminating against gays, Pope Francis said that 

one could condemn certain behavior.

"One can condemn, but not for theological reasons, 

but for reasons of political behavior...Certain 

manifestations are a bit too offensive for others, no?

"But these are things that have nothing to do with the 

problem. The problem is a person that has a condition

, that has good will and who seeks God, who are we to 

judge? And we must accompany them well."

'Immense Blessing'

Francis first uttered that rhetorical question -- Who 

am I to judge gay people? -- in 2013, also during a 

news conference on the papal plane. His comments 

were hailed as a breakthrough for a church that has 

historically condemned homosexuality, often in harsh

 terms. Francis has not changed church doctrine that 

calls homosexual acts sinful, but he has shown a more

 merciful approach to people on the margins, 

including gays and lesbians.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways 

Ministry, a Catholic gay rights group, called the Pope's

 remarks "an immense blessing of healing."

"No pope has said more welcoming words to LGBT 

people than when Pope Francis today offered his 

recommendation that the Church -- indeed all 

Christians -- should apologize for the harm religious 

traditions have caused to LGBT people. The pope's 

statement was simple, yet powerful, and it fell from 

his lips so easily."

As is often the case, the Pope's press conference 

encompassed a number of controversial questions. 

Here are the Pope's answers about Brexit, former 

Pope Benedict XVI and why he used the word 

"genocide" to describe the murder of more than 1 

million Armenians in the early 20th century.