Pope Francis has written a personal response to a letter sent to him in June by a group of gay and lesbian Italian Catholics, according to several press reports, including The Tablet. The group declined to reveal the contents of its original letter or of Francis' response, but confirmed he issued his blessing to the group and its members.
The group, called Kairos, also received a letter from the Vatican's Secretariat of State, which reportedly said Pope Francis "really enjoyed" the letter and the way it was written, according to The Tablet report.
Francis continues to make headlines for statements that seem more tolerant and accepting of the gay and lesbian community than those of his predecessors, though there has been no change in official Catholic doctrine condemning homosexual acts and opposing marriage equality.
Editor's note: We can send you a biweekly email alert with content from The Francis Chronicles. Follow the directions on our email alert signup page.