Pope Francis is apparently softening his predecessor’s hard line against LGBT people, saying they should not be marginalized but rather integrated into society.  And that includes the priesthood.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis asked during a wide-ranging chat with reporters on the plane ride back from Rome from his World Catholic Youth Day appearance in Rio de Janeiro.

There's a caveat.  Francis reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's position that homosexual acts were sinful, but homosexual orientation was not.  He was specifically responding to questions about whether there was a “gay lobby” in the Vatican.

The pope also said he wanted a greater role for women in the Church, but insisted they could not be priests.