WASHINGTON -- Today, responding to Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation about Catholic family life, Mary Beth Maxwell, Senior Vice President for Programs, Research and Training at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released the following statement:

“We had hoped that Pope Francis’ more open and loving message about LGBT people would translate into fuller inclusion during the Church’s Year of Mercy, and we are disappointed today,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC’s Senior Vice President for Programs, Research and Training. “The good news is, we know that a strong majority of U.S. Catholics believe in equality for LGBT people and that in a growing number of Catholic families and parishes all across this country we are welcomed for who we are, not judged or excluded because of doctrine. We will continue working, along with so many committed people of faith, toward full inclusion and participation in our beloved Church, and we look to the day when Pope Francis' call for a loving and welcoming Church includes the LGBT faithful and our families.”

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.