The local community weighs in on what the Pope's recent statements about gays and women mean for the Catholic church.
After leaving Word Youth Day in Brazil, Pope Francis gave a statement about gays in the church. He told press on the flight from Brazil to Rome he would not judge priests for being gay.
"If a person is gay and accepts the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge them," Pope Francis said.
He also said women should still not be allowed to become priests, but their role within in the church should be more important.
Donna Red Wing, the executive director of One Iowa, an LGBT organization, found the pope's statement surprising.
"Pope Francis' statements on gay priests was astounding," Red Wing said. "He asked the question why he should judge and said that gay people should be included. This is a step forward for this denomination and certainly for the pope."
Terry Hernandez, the executive director of the Chrysalis Foundation, which focuses on women's needs, thinks it's not an improvement for women in the church.
"For women I think that was another step backwards," Hernandez said. "It seems to send another signal that women all over the world are not considered to be equal."
While the Pope said women should have greater roles in the church, Hernandez doesn't see it that way.
"So many of the issues that prevent women from becoming priests are in those antiquated beliefs about women being inferior," he said. "And that's clearly not the case."
While the Catholic Church's policy still states homosexuality is a sin, Red Wing sees his opinion as a turning point for the gay community.
"Maybe this is a door opening in the Catholic Church and one that will allow all God's children in," Red Wing said.
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