Pope Francis created a 'seismic shift' toward acceptance, LGBTQ Catholics say

LGBTQ Catholics and theologians said the late pontiff’s legacy teaches that change can happen when leaders are willing to listen.

For LGBTQ Catholics and theologians, Pope Francis’ papacy will be remembered as a turning point — a time when acceptance was no longer whispered about but spoken aloud by the most powerful voice in the Catholic Church.

In July 2013, during an informal press conference aboard a flight, Pope Francis delivered a remark that would mark a defining moment in h…