Pope Francis told reporters today that he would not judge or marginalize gay people within the Roman Catholic Church.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis asked reporters.

Francis’ calls for treating gay people with dignity is a clear departure from the style and approach of his two most recent predecessors.

Francis’ remarks came in a wide-ranging interview aboard a flight back from Brazil in his first foreign trip as pontiff.

Francis, 76, also said in the interview that having Benedict at the Vatican is like having a wise grandfather at home, to whom he turns for advice.