LGBTQ Advocate Reveals Details of Meeting with Pope

For decades, Loretto Sr. Jeannine Gramick has operated at the margins of the global Catholic Church because of her devotion to ministry with LGBTQ Catholics. But on Oct. 17, she was welcomed into the Vatican for an historic 50-minute meeting with Pope Francis. In an exclusive interview with National Catholic Reporter some 18 hours after the papal encounter, Gramick said Francis "has a warmth and a wanting to embrace everyone, not just LGBT people but those who have been shunned by society and the church." "I think Pope Francis is trying to get us to move forward, to open our eyes and look to the future and to the changes in the world," she said.