After finishing up with a Catholic family rally in Knock, Ireland, Pope Francis had the perfect response to a question about what a father should do if he found out his son was gay. [1] According to The Huffington Post, the pope told reporters [2] that parents should try to "talk, pray, and understand" rather than react negatively.
He added that "there have always been gay people and people with homosexual tendencies" and that praying for any Catholic family should always be the next logical step — and frankly, his approach to the topic as a whole is refreshing.
Pope Francis went on to remind people that it's really no one's place to judge the actions of others. His advice to parents going through the situation? Accept it. "Don't condemn. Dialogue. Understand, give the child space so he or she can express themselves," he said.
He also made it clear that a child should definitely see a psychiatrist if he or she is exhibiting "worrisome" traits — but being gay definitely doesn't qualify as worrisome.
And the worst thing a parent could do? Ignore that their kid is gay altogether: "Ignoring child with this tendency shows a lack of motherhood and fatherhood," he said.
The pope urged parents to make sure they're a support system for their children at all times — and that means not kicking them out of the house because of their sexuality. "This child has the right to a family. And the family not throwing him out."