Pilgrimage Moments: A gay man talks to the Pope

Narrator:   It's early Wednesday morning in Saint Peter's Square. The day of the week when thousands gather to listen to the Pope.

Mehreen:  It is packed with people. This is like a concert of a top celebrity, but magnified when you see this many people all to meet this man, you realise the significance of what we're about to do. We're about to go and meet this man. This is obviously a massive, massive deal.

Narrator:   Elected six years ago, Pope Francis is known for his humility and humour. The spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics, he's gained a reputation for bringing change to the church and for his attempts to make the institution more tolerant and inclusive.

Lesley:      At the end of this two weeks of extraordinary pilgrimage, I'm going to be with the big man himself.

Dana:        I'm actually quite amazed that there's been space made to meet this privately. I think we're all kind of taken aback at that. So of course it is an honor.

Les:           It is just my average normal day. Meeting the Pope as you do.

Narrator:   It's very interesting that we've just done the veer and he's very much a believer in the veer. So it's it's nice to have it sort of I suppose we are. We're being blessed because we've been on the veer. I don't know.

Les:           I am feeling hugely apprehensive about this meeting. I know millions of Catholics around the world would give their right hand to be in this position, so I don't want to blow it. So I've got to be respectful, listen to other people's views and express my own opinions. Otherwise I'll not be true to myself.

Narrator:   While the vast crowd gathers and waits in Saint Peter's Square, the pilgrims file inside for their private audience with Pope Francis.

Stephen:    Steven K Amos.

Lesley:      I'm an actress. I'm 72.

Translator: You don't seem to be 72.

Lesley:      I know I don't do, I.

Dana:        At this difficult time for our church. We we long for truth. And we know what is very difficult. And pray for you each day.

Stephen:    Your holiness. I'm Les Dennis. My mother would be thrilled to know I had held your hand.

Narrator:   Incredibly, Stephen gets a chance to ask a question to the man who matters most.

Stephen:    I lost my mother three months ago. I buried my twin sister, who were both very religious. So me coming on this pilgrimage, being non-religious. I was looking for answers and faith. But as a gay man, I don't feel accepted.

Stephen:    Thank you. It was amazingly powerful, I think, for all of us. He gave us so much time. He didn't dodge anything. That's what I found was extraordinary.

Mehreen:  That was an absolutely fantastic experience. I think no one expected it to be quite as emotional.

Stephen:    I didn't know what I was going to say then.

Mehreen:  My mother would have loved to shake your hand and that was that was lovely because she would've.

Katy:         It didn't really feel like, oh, this is the Pope. He felt like he felt like a real person.

Stephen:    You bless the Pope, Brendan blessed the Pope.

Lesley:      I feel like we missed a trick there. We actually said bless you to the Pope.

Narrator:   He had a lovely warmth about him, a lovely energy about him.

Mehreen:  And he just said that.

Translator: Yeah, he's the Pope. He'd have to, otherwise.

Narrator:   He wouldn't be in this position. He's got to have something special about him.

Greg:        It felt like a pressure cooker of emotion. And then when Steven asked his question, I just felt myself going to bits.

Les:           He used an amazing phrase. He said, adjectives that are used to describe people are meaningless because every human has his own dignity. And that is when I lost it. And to be frank, his candid and honest response blew my mind. That's what I've been searching for for a long time. Um.

Stephen:    Yeah.