A Polish gay couple unfurled a rainbow
flag with the word HELP! at the Vatican as Pope Francis looked on.
The couple, Jakub and David, have a
large following on social media. A video of them handing out rainbow
masks they sewed themselves with one of their grandmother's sewing
machines went viral in April.
(Related: Gay
couple hands out rainbow masks on the streets of Poland.)
Anti-LGBT rhetoric is high in Poland,
where LGBT-free zones have been created. Almost 100 municipalities –
nearly one-third of the nation – have adopted non-binding
resolutions against “LGBT propaganda.” Last month, President
Andrezj Duda won re-election with an anti-LGBT platform.
(Related: Polish
President Andrezj Duda, who campaigned against LGBT rights, wins
reelection.)
Jakub and David said that they visited
St. Peter's Square several times last week with their flag. During
one such visit, they unfurled the rainbow flag as Pope Francis
recited the Angelus prayer from his balcony window.
“This was the view that Pope Francis
had today under his window during the Angelus,” the couple
captioned a photo on Instagram of themselves holding the flag in St.
Peter's Square.
They were quoted by Polish media as
saying: “Polish bishops called us pedophiles, they say that we are
a disease and even COVID-19 is a punishment for the world for LGBT+
sin.”
“Our local authorities, inspired by
the Catholic Church, have been creating 'LGBT-free zones' in Poland.”
“We believe that these actions don't
go along with Pope Francis' teachings and we [unfurled the rainbow
flag in St. Peter's Square] to encourage him to take action,” they
said.
The couple added that passersby were
encouraging and that a priest approached them with an offering of
water and listened to what they had to say.