Pope Francis has reportedly told a victim of sexual abuse that he should not worry about being gay because God made him the way he is, and loves him as he is.

Juan Carlos Cruz, spoke privately with the pope last week about the abuse he suffered at the hands of one of Chile’s most notorious paedophile priests, said the issue of his sexuality had arisen because some of the Latin American country’s bishops had sought to depict him as a pervert as they accused him of lying about the abuse.

Speaking to a Spanish newspaper Cruz said the pontiff had told him not to worry.

“He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like this and loves you like this and I don’t care. The Pope loves you like this. You have to be happy with who you are,’” Cruz said.

The Vatican have not confirmed if Cruz’s account accurately reflects his conversation with the religious leader, but it’s not the first time the Pope has made positive comments about LGBTIQ people.

In 2013 the Pope was asked by reporters about the existence of an LGBTIQ lobby within the Vatican, Pope Francis replied to questions about LGBTI rights saying ‘Who am I to judge?”

OIP Staff