Good point Carol.  Even if Pope Francis would choose to meet with these folks only to give them one of his patented verbal tongue lashings, they would still be legitimized on the global religious stage.  It's a win/win for them no matter how it might actually play out.

I guess I find very little surprising anymore when it comes to the politicized religious right.  They will obviously do anything they can to legitimize their alt fact universe and a meeting with Pope Francis would certainly accomplish that goal.