Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Latest Breaking News

Showing Original Post only (View all)

onehandle

(51,122 posts)
Fri Oct 2, 2015, 11:57 AM Oct 2015

CNN Exclusive: Pope held private meeting with same-sex couple in U.S. [View all]

Source: CNN

(CNN)The day before Pope Francis met anti-gay county clerk Kim Davis in Washington last week, he held a private meeting with a longtime friend from Argentina who has been in a same-sex relationship for 19 years. Yayo Grassi, an openly gay man, brought his partner, Iwan, as well several other friends to the Vatican Embassy on September 23 for a brief visit with the Pope. A video of the meeting shows Grassi and Francis greeting each other with a warm hug.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Grassi declined to disclose details about the short visit, but said it was arranged personally by the Pope via email in the weeks ahead of Francis' highly anticipated visit to the United States. "Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug," Grassi said.

The meeting between Grassi and the Pope adds another intriguing twist to the strange aftermath of Francis' first-ever trip to the United States. Since news broke on Tuesday of Francis' meeting with Davis, conservatives have cheered the seemingly implicit endorsement, while liberals have questioned how much the Pope knew about her case.

In a statement on Friday, the Vatican said that the meeting with Davis was not intended as a show of support for her cause and said "the only real audience granted by the Pope at the nunciature (embassy) was with one of his former students and his family."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/02/us/pope-gay-washington/index.html



And this was personally arranged by him, unlike the encounter with Davis, who was in a bunch of people with her third husband.
48 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Saw a CNN banner come up and was like BumRushDaShow Oct 2015 #1
Shows the Pope's real sentiment Az_lefty Oct 2015 #14
but... Fuck the Pope!? tk2kewl Oct 2015 #2
I heard on NPR zentrum Oct 2015 #3
Charlie Pierce gets more to the point, more eloquently MH1 Oct 2015 #17
Thanks for posting this. BlueMTexpat Oct 2015 #30
The "Raa Rha Kim Davis" cheerleaders weren't expecting a Pope punk like this. L. Coyote Oct 2015 #4
Time for Kim to throw the Pope under the bus Geronimoe Oct 2015 #5
Good for him Johnny2X2X Oct 2015 #6
But I think it is little things like this that will move the Church in the right direction LynneSin Oct 2015 #10
In the US, the legal recognition of marriage has nothing to do with religion. JDPriestly Oct 2015 #40
Who doesn't comprehend it's not about the *meeting*? gcomeau Oct 2015 #7
hee-hee-hee Baitball Blogger Oct 2015 #8
One told NOBODY the other THE WORLD!!! benld74 Oct 2015 #9
Well one lied LynneSin Oct 2015 #11
He talks out of both sides of his mouth enough that this doesn't surprise me. Jamastiene Oct 2015 #12
It's PR and nothing more. Behind the Aegis Oct 2015 #15
I don't think he planned ahead for this private meeting to become public. pnwmom Oct 2015 #23
Which is PR. Behind the Aegis Oct 2015 #24
It isn't "nothing more." He met with an old friend and his family pnwmom Oct 2015 #25
It is PR and nothing more refers to the announcement, not the meeting. Behind the Aegis Oct 2015 #29
Well yeah, he's the Pope. jeff47 Oct 2015 #16
And that's why I don't want to see our Party hitch itself to 'because god' as reason for anything. Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #21
We don't have to hitch ourselves to it. Breaking the Republican dominance of Religion is fine. jeff47 Oct 2015 #27
I gave you a link you apparently did not read. 3 day conference against marriage equality. Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #32
"Can you show me his 3 day conference on poverty?" BumRushDaShow Oct 2015 #45
How 'bout I show you this instead jeff47 Oct 2015 #48
Yes, he will be helpful on the issues we agree with. pnwmom Oct 2015 #28
But our side is claiming him and he's an anti gay, anti choice bigot. Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #35
It's all about the comparison between His Holiness, and his predecessors. Elmer S. E. Dump Oct 2015 #20
Are you more proud of him comparing transgender people to nuclear weapons? Jamastiene Oct 2015 #47
This is why I really don't understand all the fuss about this pope, and how suddenly the Church has still_one Oct 2015 #33
of course he blessed their union and wished them all the joys of heaven. nt msongs Oct 2015 #13
He met with an old friend who is gay. Some of my best friends are that way! Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #18
Heterosexism, the under discussed privilege! Behind the Aegis Oct 2015 #19
What amazes me is that when his defenders are given detailed factual links, they never bother Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #22
I am not amazed, though I am at some of the participants. Saddened actually. Behind the Aegis Oct 2015 #26
You can join in the call for resignation for the person who arranged the meeting. MH1 Oct 2015 #36
I am not Catholic. Behind the Aegis Oct 2015 #37
It is hate when we speak out against his intolerance toward us, Jamastiene Oct 2015 #44
Whosoever diggeth a pit Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #42
This pope has Jamastiene Oct 2015 #46
Do we need to defend this OP? Darb Oct 2015 #39
You follow me around making nasty personal comments utterly devoid of substance. Bluenorthwest Oct 2015 #41
if this is true restorefreedom Oct 2015 #31
I'm rethinking my initial outrage about the Kim Davis thing. It's beginning to sound like a... Tarheel_Dem Oct 2015 #34
Ratzi still lives high..... dawnie51 Oct 2015 #38
Rick SantoRum has an openly gay black friend JI7 Oct 2015 #43
Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»CNN Exclusive: Pope held ...