Pope Francis termed laws that prohibit homosexuality “unjust” and claimed that God loves all of his children equally, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. He also urged Catholic bishops who support the legislation to accept LGBTQ individuals into the church.
“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Pope Francis said during an interview on Tuesday with The Associated Press.
Francis admitted that Catholic bishops support laws that prohibit homosexuality or discrimination against the LGBTQ community in some regions of the world, and he personally referred to the matter as “sin.”
However, he attributed such viewpoints to cultural contexts and asserted that bishops in particular needed to go through a transformational process to acknowledge the dignity of everyone.
“These bishops have to have a process of conversion,” he said, adding that they should apply “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.”
According to The Human Dignity Trust, a group that campaigns to repeal such laws, 67 nations or jurisdictions worldwide prohibit consenting same-sex sexual behavior, 11 of which have the power to do so or have already done so.
According to experts, laws banning harassment, stigmatization, and violence against LGBTQ individuals still exist in places where they are not implemented.
Despite a 2003 Supreme Court decision stating that anti-sodomy statutes are unconstitutional, more than a dozen states in the US still have them in place.
The “Don’t say gay” law in Florida, which forbids teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, is one example of recent legislation that gay rights activists claim is used to harass homosexuals and serves as further proof of ongoing efforts to marginalize LGBTQ people.
The United Nations has repeatedly demanded an end to laws that categorically criminalize homosexuality, claiming that such laws violate people’s rights to privacy and freedom from discrimination as well as nations’ obligations under international law to protect all people’s human rights, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Francis called such regulations “unjust” and suggested that the Catholic Church fight to abolish them. It must perform this. This has to happen, he insisted.
Francis cited the Catholic Church’s Catechism in stating that homosexuals must be accepted and appreciated and should not face prejudice or discrimination.
“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 to the AP in the Vatican hotel where he lives.
These rules, which originated during British colonial rule or were influenced by Islamic law, are prevalent in Africa and the Middle East. While some Catholic bishops have steadfastly defended them as being in line with Vatican doctrine that views gay behaviour as “intrinsically disordered,” others have demanded that they be repealed because they violate fundamental human dignity.
Francis was scheduled to meet with human rights organizations in 2019 to discuss the implications of such legislation and purported “conversion therapies,” and he was anticipated to make a statement denouncing their use.
In the end, the organizations met with Vatican No. 2, who reiterated “the dignity of every human being and against every form of violence,” and the pope did not meet with them.
Francis stated on Tuesday that with regard to homosexuality, there should be a distinction made between a crime and a sin.
“Being homosexual is not 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.”
“It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another,” he added.
According to Catholic doctrine, homosexual activities are “intrinsically evil,” even though LGBT people must be treated with dignity. Although Francis has not modified this teaching, he has made it a point of his pontificate to be inclusive of LGBTQ people.
Francis first publicly served the LGBT and trans community in 2013 when he famously said, “Who am I to judge?” in response to a question about a rumoured gay priest.
He supported legal protections for same-sex couples as an alternative to supporting homosexual marriage, which Catholic dogma opposes, while serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Francis was slammed by the Catholic LGBTQ community despite his outreach efforts for a 2021 Vatican doctrinal office directive that the church cannot sanction same-sex unions “because God cannot bless sin.”
In 2008, the Vatican refused to endorse a U.N. resolution that advocated for the decriminalization of homosexuality, claiming the wording went beyond its intended intent and contained objectionable language regarding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”
The Vatican urged nations to avoid “unjust discrimination” against LGBT people and to stop enforcing laws against them in a statement at the time.
Anita Zuuri
Annie is an entertainment and lifestyle writer. She enjoys reading and writing about music, celebrities and their lifestyles, food, cars and tech.