This statement was not only a Vatican seal of approval on O'Loughlin's efforts, but 'a decades-delayed papal blessing' on AIDS ministers. Instead of indifference, alienation, and even condemnation, these people let themselves be moved by the mercy of the Father and allowed that to become their own life's work.' 'Thank you for shining a light on the lives and bearing witness to the many priest, religious sisters, and lay people, who opted to accompany, support, and help their brothers and sisters who were sick from HIV and AIDS at great risk to their profession and reputation. After writing a letter to Pope Francis about the stories of encounters he had heard which transformed his life, in a recent New York Times op-ed article, he announced that he had received the following reply from the Pontiff: Even before its publication, gay Catholic journalist Michael O'Loughlin's book Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear, about the ministry of Catholics during the height of the AIDS crisis, has generated publicity.
