"If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" is the quote that earned the pontiff the title.

The holy father's made the statement during an interview with reporters in July on his way from Brazil to Rome.

The magazine cover features a photoshopped image of the pontiff with "NO H8" written on his cheek.

Pope Francis was selected ahead of nine leading personalities including Edie Windsor of the US Supreme Court's Defense of Marriage Act case, whom the magazine refers to as "a hero to LGBT Americans for taking the final punch in the fight against the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act"

Further justifying its choice, the magazine said the fact Pope Francis leads over 1.2 billion Catholics all over the world, makes a difference.

For The Advocate, Francis's view on how the Catholic Church should approach LGBT people was best explained in his own words during an in-depth interview with America magazine in September.

"A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: 'Tell me, when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person? We must always consider the person.""

The magazine notes that Pope Francis's stark change in rhetoric from his two predecessors, both who were at one time or another among The Advocate's annual Phobie Awards, makes what he's done in 2013 all the more daring.

Source: The Advocate

Auckland Diocese spokesperson Lyndsay Freer was interviewed on RadioLive last Thursday.

Mrs Freer told CathNews, "It's no surprise, after reading his apostolic exhortation, Joy of the Gospel, and the many impromptu homilies at his daily Masses and public audiences, that Francis breaks new ground for Catholic sociology, while preserving doctrinal integrity.

"The carrot rather than the stick is his preferred modus operandi focusing on the fact that we are all embraced and loved by God."

The news of Time Magazine's choice of Pope Francis as Person of the Year was also covered by:

• The New Zealand Herald
• Radio New Zealand National
• Fairfax Media
• TVNZ
• TV3
• Scoop

Truth also mentioned the Pope's selection as person of the year, providing a link to its source entitled Crime which when clicked takes the reader to the New Zealand Herald.

Source:

• Supplied: Lyndsay Freer
• Image: Time Magazine

"He took the name of a humble saint and then called for a church of healing," Time wrote in its announcement quoted by CNN. "The septuagenarian superstar is poised to transform a place that measures change by the century."

The new pope "comes at a time when the church seemed to be needing a huge burst of new energy," Time contributor Howard Chua-Eoan said in a video announcing the magazine's decision.

The magazine's international editor, Bobby Ghosh, said Francis' contributions in his short time in office have changed the church's image as well as its substance.

"He's changed perceptions of the church from being this out-of-touch institution to one that is humble and merciful," Ghosh said.

"He's changed the focus of the church from being focused on doctrine to becoming more about service. And he's changed the tone in which the church speaks to one of compassion. It's all about the poor. This is the church as it used to be in its — arguably its best period in the past. And Francis seems to be bringing that back."

He has also opened up church finances and addressed controversial issues other popes have shied away from discussing publicly, Ghosh said.

"He's talking about homosexuality, about giving women a bigger say in the church. These are things that are very, very important. They're not just words. He's actually following them up with action," Ghosh said.

The Vatican welcomed Time's selection, while making it clear the man so widely recognized for his humility didn't seek the award and didn't want its light to shine on him but on the mission of the church.

"We think that the declaration of the Pope as the man of the year is a positive sign. because it is a very prestigious declaration, given to a man that announces the love of God and the peace for all," the Rev. Federico Lombardi told reporters.

"The Pope does not look for honors, but he is happy if his message — his message of the love of good — is received and understood. And then, in this sense, he can be happy of this declaration."

Sources

CNN
Time Magazine
ABC News
Image: Getty Images/CNN