Italo Catellani, the Roman Catholic
archbishop of Lucca, has spoken in favor of a cultural revolution
within the church to accept gay men and lesbians.
Speaking to reporters, Catellani called
for a shift in the church's stance.
“If all the flowers were the same,
fields would lose their beauty,” said Catellani, 70, according to a
translation provided by the blog Agere
per Formulas.
“Gay. Well, I must confess, when I
use this word it seems that there is an intrinsic judgment yet. I
struggle to use it. Therefore, we need a cultural transition,
because difference is wealth. What matters above all is the dignity
of the person.”
“And I wonder why young people
consider the church to be 'homophobic,'” he added.
Pope Francis has called on the church
to place less emphasis on its opposition to abortion, contraception
and gay marriage.
Earlier this month, the
pope suggested civil unions for gay couples might be acceptable to
the church, though the Vatican has said that Pope Francis was not
discussing same-sex unions.