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Pope Francis says in an interview: «Being homosexual isn’t a crime»

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  • The Pope’s statements have gone around the world.
  • He expresses his opinion on the LGBTQ community.
  • «Being homosexual isn’t a crime,» Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis criticized laws criminalizing homosexuality as «unjust». He said God loves all his children just as they are, and called on Catholic bishops who support those laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the Church.

“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” said Pope Francisco during an interview on Tuesday with The Associated Press. The Pope acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and say homosexuality is a sin.

Pope Francis says: «Being homosexual isn’t a crime»

Pope Francis points out in an interview: "Being gay is not a crime"
PHOTO: AP

However, he attributed those attitudes to cultural contexts and said that bishops, in particular, must also go through a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. «These bishops have to have a process of conversion,» he said, adding that they should show «tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.»

Some 67 countries or jurisdictions around the world criminalize consensual same-sex relations, and 11 of them can, or do, carry the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust, which is working to end those laws.

Experts point out that even when laws criminalizing homosexuality are not enforced, they contribute to bullying

Experts point out that even when laws are not enforced, they contribute to bullying
PHOTO: AP

Experts point out that even when 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 that declared them unconstitutional.

LGBTQ rights advocates say such outdated laws are being used to harass gay people, pointing to new rules like the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida, which bans sexual orientation and gender identity education between kindergarten and third grade, as evidence of ongoing efforts to marginalize LGBTQ people.

Francis declared those rules «unjust» and that the Church must work to end them

Francis declared those norms as "unfair" and that the Church must work to put an end to them
PHOTO: Getty Images

The United Nations has repeatedly called for the abandonment of laws that criminalize homosexuality and affirms that they violate rights to privacy and freedom from discrimination, in addition to failing to comply with the obligations of those countries under international law to protect the human rights of everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Francis declared those rules «unfair» and said the Catholic Church can and should work to end them. “They have to, they have to,” he said. Francis cited the catechism of the Catholic Church to point out that homosexuals must be received and respected, and must not be marginalized or discriminated against.

«We are all children of God and God loves us as we are»

The Supreme Pontiff noted: "We are all children of God and God loves us as we are."
Photo: Getty Images

We are all children of God and God loves us as we are. And with strength we each fight for our dignity,” said Francis, who spoke to the AP at the Vatican hotel where he lives. Such laws are common in Africa and the Middle East and date back to the British colonial era or are inspired by Islamic law.

Some Catholic bishops have strongly defended them as consistent with Vatican doctrine, which views homosexual activity as «intrinsically disordered,» while others have called for them to be repealed as a violation of fundamental human dignity.

He also said that homosexuality should be distinguished between crime and sin

He also said that homosexuality should be distinguished between crime and sin
PHOTO: MundoNOW Archive

In 2019, Francis was expected to publish a statement against the criminalization of homosexuality during a meeting with human rights groups that investigated the effects of these norms and the so-called «conversion therapies“.

In the end, the pope did not meet with the groups. They instead met with the Vatican’s number two, who reaffirmed «the dignity of every human person and against any form of violence”. Francis said Tuesday that when it comes to homosexuality, a distinction must be made between crime and sin.

“It is not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin.»

Pope Francisco: "It is not a crime. Yes, but it's a sin"
PHOTO: ARCHIVE

“Being homosexual isn’t a crime” he said. “It’s not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime.” Catholic teaching indicates that while homosexuals should be treated with respect, homosexual acts are «intrinsically disordered».

Francisco has not changed that position, although he has made outreach to the LGTBQ community one of the characteristic features of his papacy. Since his famous 2013 statement “Who am I to judge?” When asked about a priest who was reportedly gay, Francis has continued to repeatedly and publicly address the gay and trans communities.

Francis was always in favor of offering legal protection for same-sex couples

From its beginnings, it was in favor of offering legal protections to same-sex couples.
Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, file)

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis was in favor of offering legal protection for same-sex couples as an alternative to supporting gay marriage, something that is prohibited by Catholic doctrine. Despite this approach, Francisco was criticized by the Catholic LGBTQ community because of 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 declined to sign a United Nations declaration calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality, complaining that the text went beyond the original draft and also included passages on «sexual orientation» and «gender identity» that he found problematic. In a statement at the time, the Vatican urged countries to avoid «unfair discrimination» against homosexuals and to end sanctions against them.

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