On Wednesday, a number of media outlets reported that during a documentary interview Pope Francis expressed support for civil union laws for same-sex couples to ensure that they are “legally covered.” DignityUSA is cautiously optimistic about this development, while acknowledging that we are very early in the story. We are anxious to see the full film, the context in which Pope Francis made these comments, and whether the Vatican will make further comment on this story. Marianne Duddy-Burke, our Executive Director, along with other national and local Dignity leaders mobilized around responding to multiple media requests and spoke with reporters and journalists from regional, national, and global news outlets to ensure the voice of LGBTQI Catholics was heard in the international conversation. |