This pope may give a lot of LGBT people hope, but most would likely agree that an endorsement of marriage equality is too much to hope for -- something for which the pope provided a little more evidence this week.
In his weekly general audience Wednesday in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis did not mention same-sex marriage specifically, but he extolled male-female marriage, Catholic News Agency reports.
"Jesus teaches us that the masterpiece of society is the family -- the man and woman who love each other!" the pope said when discussing Jesus' first public miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding feast.
He said the institution of marriage "protects the bond between man and woman" and emphasized the need to recognize "the motherhood of women and the fatherhood of men." He also lamented the declining birth rate and the fact that many young people are choosing not to marry.
Pope Francis's remarks came the day after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on marriage equality.