Pope Francis attends a press conference onboard a plane en route to Rome, at the end of the XXXVII World Youth Day in Lisbon, August 6, 2023.
ANSA/Maurizio Brambatti/Pool via REUTERSABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Catholic Church is open to everyone, including the gay community, and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of its rules.
"The Church is open to everyone but there are laws that regulate life inside the church," he said.
He said ministers in the Church had to accompany all people, including those not conforming to the rules, with the patience and love of a mother.
The Church teaches that women cannot become priests because Jesus chose only men as his apostles.
Persons:
Pope Francis, ANSA, Maurizio Brambatti, Francis, Jesus, Philip Pullella, Lisa Shumaker
Organizations:
REUTERS, Catholic, Vatican, Thomson
Locations:
Rome, Lisbon, Portugal