UNITED STATES
Detroit Free Press
By Patricia Montemurri
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
For liberal Catholics, newly elected Pope Francis signals hope for change within the church.
“It sounds like to me he’ll be open to the dialogue. He seems to have rapport with the people in his diocese,” said retired Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, a well-known peace activist. “It seems to be the right direction.”
Gumbleton said Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio brings to mind the papacy of John XXIII, which ushered in the Second Vatican Council, modernizing Catholic services and promoting the use of more laypeople in parish life.
Known for championing liberal causes in the church, Gumbleton has called for greater emphasis on gay rights and helping poor people. He urged state lawmakers to change laws to make it easier for sexual abuse victims to sue the Catholic Church. He also decried the Vatican’s crackdown on American nuns, when a Vatican report said many U.S. sisters didn’t do enough to promote church positions against abortion and gay marriage.
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