A Waterford gay man who has been a volunteer in his local catholic church in Dunmore East for the past 21 years, has described Pope Francis' endorsement of same-sex civil unions as "amazing".
Niall Taylor married his partner Shane at Castlemartyr Resort last year, after 13 years together.
He told Damien Tiernan on Deise Today that the comments from the pontiff - revealed in a documentary which was aired at the Rome Film Festival - were something he'd been "waiting for".
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Pope Francis was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
“What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”
Niall Taylor, who volunteers at Killea Church, acknowledged that over the years - as a gay man and a practising Catholic - he did have to grapple with some of the teachings of the church.
"It did get me down at times and it is very challenging but then I just think...God loves everyone. No matter who you are or what you are...God still loves you. That's all I think and that's what gets me through it," said Niall,
Hearing the news last night of what the Pope had said was "just amazing", he added.
"It was absolutely outstanding. Now, yes, it was just an interview he did. But this could be the start of something...this is something I've been waiting for. Then last night...it was just amazing news," he told Damien.
Pope Francis - in a documentary called 'Francesco' which premiered at the Rome Film Festival - endorsed same sex civil unions for the first time since becoming head of the Catholic Church.
Meanwhile, if you want to listen to the full Deise Today show from this morning, please click below...
