An Italian children's book depicting gay animal couples has been fighting an ongoing battle against censorship, and Pope Francis surprisingly just spoke out in praise of the book.

Piccolo Uovo (Little Egg) is the story of an egg searching for a home, and encountering all different family types along the way. The egg visits a pair of gay penguins raising a baby penguin, lesbian rabbits, a single parent hippo, and a kangaroo that has adopted a polar bear cub.

Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro placed the book on a "blacklist" due to its gay-inclusive themes.

Author Francesca Pardi sent a parcel of children's books and a heartfelt letter to the Vatican, describing the attacks she has come under recently.

“Many parishes across the country are in this period sullying our name and telling falsehoods about our work which deeply offends us,” she wrote. “We have respect for Catholics … A lot of Catholics give back the same respect, why can’t we have the whole hierarchy of the church behind us?”

Pardi said she certainly didn't expect a response, but was shocked to receive one.

A senior official at the Vatican wrote back, saying, "His holiness is grateful for the thoughtful gesture and for the feelings which it evoked, hoping for an always more fruitful activity in the service of young generations and the spread of genuine human and Christian values."

About the response, Pardi said, "It’s not that I think that he’s for gay families, because there’s the Catholic doctrine, but we mustn’t think that we don’t have rights."

The church is expected to address LGBT issues, whether in a positive or negative light, when the Pope visits the U.S. next month.

h/t: Towleroad