Pope Francis has said homosexuality is a “sin” but not a “crime”, as he has called laws that criminalize homosexuals “unjust”.
The pontiff took some steps to modernize the Catholic Church’s policy on homosexuality, but failed to tolerate it or allow same-sex marriage.
In an interview on Tuesday, the 86-year-old said God loves his children as they are and called on bishops supporting laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.
He told The Associated Press: “Being gay is not a crime.”
Pope Francis said homosexuality was a ‘sin’ but not a ‘crime’ as he slammed laws that criminalize gay people as ‘unjust’ (pictured today in his weekly audience)
He acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws criminalizing homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community – and referred to the issue in terms of “sin”.
But he attributed such attitudes to cultural origins and said bishops in particular must undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone.
“These bishops must have a process of conversion,” he said, adding that they should apply “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.”
Some 67 countries or jurisdictions around the world criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which can or impose the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust, which is working to end such laws.
Experts say that even where laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigma and violence against LGBTQ people.
In the United States, more than a dozen states still have anti-sodomy laws despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling declaring them unconstitutional.
Gay rights advocates say outdated laws are being used to harass gay people and point to new legislation, such as Florida’s so-called ‘don’t say gay’ law, which bans teaching about sexual orientation and kindergarten gender identity in grade four, as evidence of ongoing efforts to marginalize LGBTQ people.
The pontiff has taken some steps to modernize the Catholic Church’s policy on homosexuality, but has failed to tolerate it or allow same-sex marriage
The United Nations (UN) has repeatedly called for an end to laws outright criminalizing homosexuality, saying they violate the right to privacy and freedom from discrimination and constitute a violation countries’ obligations under international law to protect the human rights of all people, regardless of status. their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Declaring such laws “unjust,” Francis said the Catholic Church can and must work to end them.
‘It must. He has to do it,” he said.
Francis quoted the Catechism of the Catholic Church saying that homosexuals should be welcomed and respected and should not be marginalized or discriminated against.
“We are all children of God and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity,” Francis said, speaking from the Vatican hotel where he lives.
Such laws are common in Africa and the Middle East and date from British colonial times or are inspired by Islamic law.
Some Catholic bishops have strongly backed them as being in line with Vatican teaching that views same-sex activity as “intrinsically disordered,” while others have called for their cancellation as a violation of basic human dignity.
In 2019, Francis was due to issue a statement opposing the criminalization of homosexuality during a meeting with human rights groups who conducted research into the effects of these laws and so-called “conversion therapy”.
A gay rights organization waves a rainbow flag during a protest outside the Vatican
In the end, the pope did not meet with the groups, but rather with the Vatican’s number two, who reaffirmed “the dignity of every human person and against all forms of violence.”
On Tuesday, Francis said a distinction must be made between a crime and a sin when it comes to homosexuality.
“Being gay is not a crime,” he said.
‘It’s not a crime. Yes, but it is a sin. Okay, but let’s first distinguish between a sin and a crime.
“It is also a sin to lack charity towards one another,” he added.
Catholic teaching holds that while homosexuals should be treated with respect, homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered”.
Francis did not change this teaching, but he made LGBTQ community outreach a hallmark of his papacy.
Beginning with his famous 2013 statement, “Who am I to judge? When asked about an allegedly gay priest, Francis continued to repeatedly and publicly address the gay and trans community.
As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he favored granting legal protections to same-sex couples as an alternative to endorsing same-sex marriage, which Catholic doctrine prohibits.
Despite such outreach, Francis has come under fire from the Catholic LGBTQ community for a 2021 decree from the Vatican’s office of doctrine that the church cannot bless same-sex unions “because God cannot bless sin.”
In 2008, the Vatican refused to sign a UN declaration that called for the decriminalization of homosexuality, complaining that the text exceeded the original scope and also included language on “sexual orientation” and “the gender identity” which he found problematic.
In a statement at the time, the Vatican urged countries to avoid “unjust discrimination” against gay people and end sanctions against them.
