Pope Francis' body is carried in a coffin into Saint Peter's Basilica, on the day of its translation, at the Vatican, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane SEARCH "POPE FRANCIS PORTRAITS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
MADRID (Reuters) - Roger Yu, a gay man from the Philippines who abandoned plans to become a priest, said he was in Italy to pay homage to Pope Francis, a spiritual leader he saw as an inspiring supporter of the LGBTQ community.
"I think everybody loves him because he's like pro-poor, pro-LGBT. He opened doors for gay people as well, like us," said Yu, who was raised a Catholic and studied for the priesthood before moving to California to work as a nurse.
