Early in his Papacy, Pope Benedict made a public statement about Gay Catholics saying, “Who am I to judge?” It was probably the most positive statement from the Church about LGBTI people ever. Many Rainbow Catholics dared to hope of a more inclusive institution under his reign. However last year, the Vatican called same-sex unions “sinful” and reiterating a ban on priests giving them blessings.

Some in the Catholic Church have taken a stand. 125 priests and staff employed in the German Catholic Church held a collective “coming out” last month to give visibility to LGBTI people in the Church. Rebecca Lögas da Silva was one of those people – part of a campaign for change called Out In Church.