Pope Francis Is 'My Hero' - Elton John

 

The star praises Francis for his push to accept gays into the Catholic church, telling an AIDS benefit the Pope is "fearless".

Elton John hosts his annual AIDS benefit in New York

Elton John has called Pope Francis "my hero" for his push to accept gays in the Catholic church.

Sir Elton made the remarks as he hosted his annual AIDS benefit on Tuesday night in New York.
He said Francis is pushing boundaries inside the church.

"He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of God," Sir Elton said of the Pope.
"It is formidable what he is trying to do against many, many people in the church.
"He is courageous and he is fearless, and that's what we need in the world today."
He told the crowd: "Make this man a saint now, OK?"
Francis has sought to chart a more merciful approach to ministering to Catholic families and a more welcoming approach to gays.
In July 2013, shortly after he was elected to the pontificate, Francis made headlines when, in response to a question, he said: "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?"
A synod on families held at the Vatican this month failed to reach consensus on welcoming gays, but the issue remains up for discussion ahead of another meeting of bishops next year.
Attendees at Sir Elton's benefit in New York included his husband, David Furnish, Neil Patrick Harris, Alec Baldwin, Matt Lauer and host Anderson Cooper.