(Pope Francis/Creative Commons)

“If a person is gay, seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis said. “They should not be marginalized.”

The church has traditionally called homosexuality a "disorder" and the pope's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, had authored a document that said men with homosexual tendencies should not be priests. The former pope also said gay marriage put the future of mankind at stake.

Francis' recent comments have softened that position, USA Today Reported. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that Francis discussed the issue after a reporter asked about a report in an Italian magazine purporting that a Vatican monsignor named Battista Ricca engaged in gay sexual relationships years ago while living in Latin America.

The pope spoke for nearly an hour and a half with journalists, according to the LA Times, and was also asked what role women will play in the Vatican Church, if any. The pope repeated that women cannot be priests, but he added women "should not be limited to being altar girls" and should be given expanded administrative roles.

In the nearly week-long trip to Brazil, the pope put forward his priorities: showing solidarity with the poor, getting priests out of their parishes and closer to the people, and re-evangelizing regions where Catholics have abandoned the church.

Learn more about the pope's trip and comments at USA Today