Elton John wants fast-track sainthood for Pope Francis

New York, Oct 30 (IANS/EFE) British singer Elton John praised Pope Francisco once again, this time at a charity concert in New York where he said Francis should be made a saint "now", media reported.

The concert, organized by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, lasted until midnight Wednesday, and was attended by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"Ten years ago, one of the biggest obstacles in the fight against AIDS was the Catholic Church. Today we have a pope that speaks out about it," said John. "Make this man a saint now, OK?."

The British musician said in July 2013, when the Italian edition of Vanity Fair named the pope "Man of the Year", that the pontiff "is a miracle of humility in an era of vanity". He also described him last July as "marvellous".

During Wednesday's concert, John said the pope is a "hero" because of his efforts to accept homosexuals within the Catholic Church. "He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of god," said Elton John.

--IANS/EFE

ab/rd