NEW YORK — Elton John called Pope Francis “my hero” for his compassion and push to accept gays in the Catholic church, at his annual AIDS benefit.
John hosted the event, “An Enduring Vision: A Benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation,” Tuesday night in New York City. He said Francis is pushing boundaries in the church and told the crowd: “Make this man a saint now, OK?”
“Ten years ago one of the biggest obstacles in the fight against AIDS was the Catholic Church. Today we have a pope that speaks out about it,” said John, earning cheers from the attendees at Cipraini’s on Wall Street.
“He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of God,” John said of the pope. “It is formidable what he is trying to do against many, many people in the church that opposes. He is courageous and he is fearless, and that’s what we need in the world today.”
Mesfin Fekaduap, Associated Press
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