Ciao Don Gallo

Don Andrea Gallo (18 July 1928 – 22 May 2013) was an Italian presbyter, founder and leader of the community of San Benedetto al Porto of Genoa. He often called himself a "priest of the sidewalk", referring to his activity of helping poor and needy people.

He and the parish priest of St. Benedict at Port of Genoa, Don Federico Rebora, together with a small group he established the Comunità di San Benedetto al Porto.
Since then he has committed for pacifism and in the recovery of marginalized people, even asking the legalization of soft drugs: in 2006 Gallo was fined for smoking marijuana in the town hall of Genoa to protest against the law on drugs in Italy. He actively supported the movement No Dal Molin of Vicenza against the construction of a new U.S. military base in Padua. In April 2008 Gallo joined the V2-Day organized by Beppe Grillo. On June 27, 2009 he participated to the Genova Pride 2009, complaining about the uncertainties of the Catholic Church in respect of homosexuality.
A LGBT rights advocate, on August 15, 2011 Gallo has been honored as Gay Character of the Year by Gay.it in Torre del Lago. In 2013 he said that the Catholic Church needs an openly gay pope.
He died in Genoa on May 22, 2013 at the age of 84. His death was announced by Domenico Chionetti, spokesman for the Community of San Benedetto al Porto.

He once said: He will never become Pope, because Papa Gallo would sound weird....
(Papagallo means parrot in Italian.)

A magnificent figure, an outstanding being, the love of the people to Andrea Gallo is clearly shown by the huge number of  participants at his final farewell.

(Text extrated from :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Gallo )