[ebb tide]

The times, they are a changing.

Members of New Ways Ministry -- an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Catholics -- have made three pilgrimages to the Vatican, under three different popes. But only once have they been treated like VIPs. That's the treatment the roughly 50 members of the Maryland-based group got -- much to their surprise -- for Pope Francis' weekly address Wednesday in St. Peter's Square, according to Francis DeBernardo, the group's executive director.

[Grateful2God]

CNN? Come on!

And even Wednesday, New Ways Ministry was recognized simply as a lay group of Catholics, not one that speaks for the LGBT community. The Vatican didn't grant members' request for a special private audience with Francis, nor did anyone acknowledge their calling out to him that "we are gay and lesbian Catholics,"