Pope Francis criticized the “unjust” policies that punish gay people while stating that homosexuality is a “sin” but not a “crime.”
The 86-year-old stated in an interview on Tuesday that God loves his children just as they are and urged bishops to support legislation allowing LGBTQ individuals to be received into the church.
The Associated Press quoted him as saying: “Being homosexual is not a crime.”
He stated that some Catholic bishops favor legislation that criminalize homosexuality or that discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he referred to the problem as a “sin.” However, he ascribed such viewpoints to cultural contexts and asserted that bishops in particular needed to go through a transformational process to acknowledge the dignity of everyone.
He said, “These bishops must go through a process of conversion,” urging them to show “tenderness, kindly, as God has for each of us.”
The United Nations (UN) has repeatedly urged countries to stop passing laws that explicitly criminalize homosexuality, claiming that doing so violates peoples’ rights to privacy and the elimination of all forms of discrimination, as well as their obligations under international law to safeguard the human rights of all individuals 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.
Francis remarked from the Vatican hotel where he stays, “We are all children of God and God loves us for the strength that everyone of us fights for our dignity.”
