His “who am I to judge comment” was the end of his sentence. The pope was asked about what has been described as a “gay lobby” in the Vatican, allegedly a group of priests and bishops who work at the Vatican and protect each other. Pope Francis said it was important to “distinguish between a person who is gay and someone who makes a gay lobby.”
“A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will — well, who am I to judge him?” the pope said. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says one must not marginalize these persons, they must be integrated into society. The problem isn’t this (homosexual) orientation — we must be like brothers and sisters. The problem is something else, the problem is lobbying either for this orientation or a political lobby or a Masonic lobby.”
The church distinguishes between homosexual acts and homosexual tendencies or orientation, it said. The church, unlike much of the public, does not assume all those with a homosexual orientation are sexually active, just as it does not assume all heterosexuals are sexually active.
“A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will — well, who am I to judge him?” the pope said.
I understand. I accept your account and I accept the Catechism. But a sophomoric statement invites confusion. Acting on a depraved inclination is not allowed. Seeking God is always allowed. Blowing up the intersection between the two with a remark such as, “who am I to judge”, is a ridiculous rabbit trail, and sure fodder for misuse, misunderstanding, and really, deservedly so.