Jim Romenesko is pointing out that Chicago’s Cardinal George attacked the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday for the headline: “Pope Launches Global Campaign Vs. Gays.”

In response, Sun-Times editors issued a statement demonstrating they understood the Cardinal’s point: “We meant no disrespect to the Holy Father or the church…We understand the pope condemns what he believes to be the sin of homosexuality and not the individual.”

But they also defended their headline: “When the pope urges all peoples to unite in denying homosexuals a specific civil right — the right of civil marrage — to refer to that summons as anti-gay is justified.”

They’re missing the point. The word “anti-gay” was not in the headline — the words “global campaign vs. gays” was the headline. If you are gay and don’t fervently wish to have what proponents call gay marriage enshrined in law and custom, is the Pope conducting a “global campaign” against you?