Vatican denies reports that pope called gay man in France

Given the pope’s penchant for calling anyone and everyone, I’m surprised there haven’t been more stories like this.

Details: 

The Vatican firmly denied reports in France on Friday that Pope Francis had telephoned a young gay French Catholic to reassure him. Christophe Trutino had claimed in a newspaper interview the Pontiff had told him “Your homosexuality. It doesn’t matter” in a personal call.

Father Lombardi, a spokesman for the Vatican “firmly denied” claims by the young gay Catholic that the Pope had made a private telephone call to him last week.

After previously declining to deny or confirm the call, in which Christophe Trutino claimed the Pope told him “Your homosexuality doesn’t matter” Lombardi told Le Figaro newspaper: “The Pope never called this person.”

“The only time the Pope has called France was to speak to Cardinal Barbarin. I absolutely deny this information,” he said.

“There is always the risk that people pretend to be the pope over the phone,” Lombardi added.

Trutino a 25-year-old sales assistant from Toulouse in the south west of France claimed to have written to the Pope to explain his difficulties in reconciling his sexuality with his faith…

…When initially contacted by La Depeche du Midi the director of the Vatican’s press office said they could not comment on private matters and declined to confirm or deny that Pope had made the call.

However with the Vatican’s denial it now appears he was either the victim of a hoax or made up the whole story himself.

Read more.