Elton John praises Pope Francis: ‘Make this man a saint’
By Sam Rigby
Sir Elton John has praised the work being carried out by Pope Francis to modernise the Catholic Church.
The singer described him as a “compassionate, loving man” during a speech at his annual AIDS benefit in New York City yesterday (October 28).
Since his election in March 2013, Pope Francis has attempted to make the church more welcoming of gay people. Earlier this year, he made headlines when he said: “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”
John said of the Pope: “He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of God. It is formidable what he is trying to do against many, many people in the church.
“He is courageous and he is fearless, and that’s what we need in the world today. Make this man a saint now, OK?”
Earlier this month, Pope Francis called for the Catholic Church to avoid “hostile rigidity” after cardinals blocked a change in policy on homosexuality – read more here.