Pope Francis, already Time Magazine's 'person of the year,' has had a repeat of the honour from an unexpected quarter. The Advocate, America's oldest gay rights magazine, chose the head of the Catholic Church as the 'single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.' That's despite the church's longstanding conflict with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community over its opposition to same-sex marriage and to homosexuality more generally. 'The single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people': Pope Francis waves during his inauguration mass at St Peter's square in March. In July he famously said he would not 'judge' homosexuals . 'While 2013 will be remembered for the work of hundreds in advancing marriage equality, it will also be remembered for the example of one man,' wrote the online magazine in announcing its choice. The pontiff famously said this summer he would not 'judge' homosexuals. Those remarks, the Advocate said, 'became a signal to Catholics and the world that the new pope is not like the old pope.' Francis 'has not yet said the Catholic Church supports civil unions' between same-sex couples, but the comments he has made have 'already caused reflection and consternation within his church.' As the leader of the world's 1.2billion Catholics, the editorial noted, 'like it or not, what he says makes a difference.' None of the gay community's disagreements with Catholic clergy - such as over the role of women and contraception - 'should lead us to underestimate any pope's capacity for persuading hearts and minds in opening to LGBT people, and not only in the US, but globally,' the magazine said. Spiritual figurehead: As the leader of the world's 1.2billion Catholics, the editorial in the Advocate announcing the decision to honour Pope Francis noted, 'like it or not, what he says makes a difference' The Pope spoke out on homosexuality during an intimate address to journalists aboard a jet taking him home from his visit to Brazil in July. In remarks at odds with traditional rhetoric, the Pontiff refused to condemn homosexuality, saying: ‘We must  be brothers.’ In the most conciliatory words yet from the Vatican on the subject of gay priests, he added: ‘If a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge him?’ He stressed that the official position of the Church is that homosexual acts are sinful, but homosexual urges and thoughts are not. But the message that gay people should be ‘integrated’ into society rather than marginalised marked a clear departure for the Papacy. In recent years the pronouncements of Francis’s predecessor Pope Benedict had fiercely condemned gay rights and at one point the former Pope described gay relationships as ‘evil’. The U.S. gay rights community has had particular success this year in fighting to legalize same-sex marriage. In June, the Supreme Court struck down the 'Defense of Marriage Act,' which restricted federal marriage benefits to heterosexual couples.
Francis named 'single most influential person on the lives of LGBT people'
In an address in July he said he would not 'judge' gay people .
The Catholic church has had a longstanding opposition to homosexuality .
Pope Francis, already Time Magazine's 'person of the year,' has had a repeat of the honour from an unexpected quarter. The Advocate, America's oldest gay rights magazine, chose the head of the Catholic Church as the 'single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.' That's despite the church's longstanding conflict with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community over its opposition to same-sex marriage and to homosexuality more generally. 'The single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people': Pope Francis waves during his inauguration mass at St Peter's square in March. In July he famously said he would not 'judge' homosexuals . 'While 2013 will be remembered for the work of hundreds in advancing marriage equality, it will also be remembered for the example of one man,' wrote the online magazine in announcing its choice. The pontiff famously said this summer he would not 'judge' homosexuals. Those remarks, the Advocate said, 'became a signal to Catholics and the world that the new pope is not like the old pope.' Francis 'has not yet said the Catholic Church supports civil unions' between same-sex couples, but the comments he has made have 'already caused reflection and consternation within his church.' As the leader of the world's 1.2billion Catholics, the editorial noted, 'like it or not, what he says makes a difference.' None of the gay community's disagreements with Catholic clergy - such as over the role of women and contraception - 'should lead us to underestimate any pope's capacity for persuading hearts and minds in opening to LGBT people, and not only in the US, but globally,' the magazine said. Spiritual figurehead: As the leader of the world's 1.2billion Catholics, the editorial in the Advocate announcing the decision to honour Pope Francis noted, 'like it or not, what he says makes a difference' The Pope spoke out on homosexuality during an intimate address to journalists aboard a jet taking him home from his visit to Brazil in July. In remarks at odds with traditional rhetoric, the Pontiff refused to condemn homosexuality, saying: ‘We must  be brothers.’ In the most conciliatory words yet from the Vatican on the subject of gay priests, he added: ‘If a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge him?’ He stressed that the official position of the Church is that homosexual acts are sinful, but homosexual urges and thoughts are not. But the message that gay people should be ‘integrated’ into society rather than marginalised marked a clear departure for the Papacy. In recent years the pronouncements of Francis’s predecessor Pope Benedict had fiercely condemned gay rights and at one point the former Pope described gay relationships as ‘evil’. The U.S. gay rights community has had particular success this year in fighting to legalize same-sex marriage. In June, the Supreme Court struck down the 'Defense of Marriage Act,' which restricted federal marriage benefits to heterosexual couples.
the year,' has had a repeat of the honour from an person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.' 'The single most influential person of 2013 on in March. In July he famously said he would not famously said this summer he would not 'judge' homosexuality during an intimate address to