Archbishop Of Baltimore Reacts To Pope's Comments On Homosexuals

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Reaction continues to pour in after Pope Francis' remarkable comments about gays in the Catholic church. Now the Archbishop of Baltimore weighs in.

Mary Bubala has more.

Archbishop William Lori says Pope Francis surprised all of the Catholic faithful--even him.

This week, the Pope told reporters if someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who is he to judge? The Pope went on to say homosexual acts are a sin but gay people should be a part of society.

"I think he has set a new tone for all of us, and it's not that he's changing the teaching, it's just that he's opening the doors of the church, the heart of the church. He's inviting all of us to understand that no one is a stranger in the church," said Archbishop Lori.

It is a much different tone than his predecessor. In 2005, Pope Benedict signed a document saying men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be priests. The new Pope is signaling a more open dialogue and softer tone.

Archbishop Lori says doctrine hasn't changed--just the way it's delivered.

"He's showing us that the teaching of the church is not severity. It's mercy and that it may be difficult sometimes to embrace it," Lori said. "It's worth it."

The Pope also talked about a broader role for women in the church. The Archbishop says he fully supports that.