Pope Francis says gay people 'should not be marginalized'

Pope Francis has said gay people should not be marginalized but 'integrated' into society. Speaking to reporters on-board a flight returning to the Vatican from Brazil, the leader of the world's Catholics reaffirmed the churches position that homosexual acts were sinful, but that homosexual orientation was not, saying: "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who I am to judge him?", adding during the 80-minute wide-ranging interview with Vatican journalists: "The problem is not having this orientation. We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation". The Pontiff also addressed the issue of women in the church, saying he wanted a greater role for women in the church - but insisted that they could not be priests. "We cannot limit the role of women in the church to altar girls or the president of a charity, there must be more", he said on the issue, adding: "But with regard to the ordination of women, the Church has spoken and says no...That door is closed". The Pope arrived back in Rome on Monday after a week long tour of Brazil - his first trip abroad as head of the Catholic Church.