Pope Francis, I am sorry that I had lost faith in you. After buying SEPTA passes and getting tickets to be up close on the Parkway for your World Meeting of Families Festival and concert in Philadelphia and walking miles just to get a glimpse of you and hearing your inspiring messages over the weekend, I was disappointed to hear that you had a private meeting with Kim Davis, the jailed Kentucky clerk who refused to issue same sex marriage licenses.
You were even quoted as saying you supported conscientious objectors (not mentioning any names) on your jet on your ride home. This all seemed to fly in the face of everything you had said during your visit to the USA about love, inclusion, caring for the poor and homeless and those in prison, being stewards of this Mother Earth by combating climate change, and following the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.
As a gay person I started to feel left out. You refused the invitation of Catholic LGBT folks to visit with them and then, it appeared, had a private meeting with this clerk who claims to be anti-same-sex marriage for religious reasons.
I could understand your wanting to be neutral and not bring up the LGBT issue at all as you are just one person and it is difficult to change centuries of Catholic dogma about gays and women. It also would have been an insult to Philadelphia Archbishop Chaput who had invited you here and is a strong traditional marriage advocate. But your past statements about "who am I to judge gays?" had given me hope that I was included in your love for humanity.
It had felt like a slap in the face to read from Davis that you had told her to be strong and pray for you. But now, from all accounts, it seems you had been blindsided by her lawyers and the US Vatican ambassador who is a holdover from Pope Benedict's reign. Kim Davis was just one of a dozen passing visitors you had hosted in DC and you now claim you are not endorsing her or supporting her position on this issue.
You even put out photos of your meeting in DC with your gay former student and his partner as you greeted them with open arms. That was very heartening to me and it shows you do include us LGBT folks in your message of hope and love and acceptance.
Now I must apologize to you for ever doubting you. I should have known that a man who created the small miracle of uniting our American Congress by having both sides of the political divide stand and applaud your speech would not want to send a divisive message about religious freedom.
In fact, my interpretation of your talks about religion and liberty were in the general sense that we as a nation were founded on worshipping as a personal right. The phrase "God Bless America" takes on new meaning when you say it.
I want to thank you for truly being Christ's representative as you visited prisons and schools and kissed babies and blessed children in wheelchairs here. I was honored to be in the crowd of people watching and hearing your every word and being moved by your uplifting talks of goodness, mercy, and kindness for all, including me, a gay woman.
The reason you are so loved as a spiritual leader by so many people of different religious persuasions is because your sincerity and humble nature is felt by those who are blessed to be in your presence. The closest I got to you was seeing you wave in a passing Pope mobile and the collective excitement and anticipation of the crowd was a wonderful thing to behold.
I felt we were united in a feeling of peace and goodwill created by your presence. I now know that universal connection we all made that day would not have been possible without sincere love and truth emanating from your soul. You are leading us by example and your constant plea to ask us to pray for you is a sign of your humility.
So, Holy Father, please forgive my lapse of faith. Your heartwarming visit to my country was inclusive and inspiring and united our nation if only for a few days. As you have asked, I will pray for you and am grateful for the serenity and joy you bring to a troubled world.