Pope Francis said in an interview with the Associated Press news agency that the laws criminalizing homosexuality are unjust and that “being gay is not a crime (…), but a sin”.
Francis acknowledged that in some parts of the world Catholic bishops support laws criminalizing homosexuality or discriminating against the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, admitting that he himself refers to the issue in terms of “sin” .
The leader of the Catholic Church also argued that these bishops in particular must go through a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. “These bishops must undergo a process of conversion,” he said, adding that they should act with “tenderness, (…) as God has done for each of us.”
According to The Human Dignity Trust, a UK-based non-governmental organization working to end such laws, about 67 countries or jurisdictions around the world criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which can or will carry the death penalty.
Experts say that even when laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigma and violence against LGBTQ people.
The United Nations has repeatedly called for an end to laws that openly criminalize homosexuality, saying they violate the right to privacy and liberty and violate countries’ obligations under international law to protect human rights, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Francis declared such laws “unfair” and said the Catholic Church could and should work to end them. “[A Igreja Católica] must do this. You have to do it,” he insisted.
Francis quoted the catechism of the Catholic Church, arguing that homosexuals should be welcomed and respected and not 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 in an interview held at the Vatican on Tuesday.
Such laws are common in Africa and the Middle East and date back to British colonial times or are inspired by Islamic law. Some Catholic bishops have firmly defended them as consistent with the Vatican’s teaching that homosexual activity is “intrinsically disturbing”, while others have called for its abolition as a violation of basic human dignity.
In 2019, Francis was expected to make a statement opposing the criminalization of homosexuality while meeting with human rights groups who have been researching the effects of such laws and so-called “conversion therapies”.
The pope ultimately did not meet with the groups, who instead met with the Vatican’s “number two,” who reaffirmed “the dignity of every human person and against all forms of violence.”
On Tuesday, Francis said there should be a distinction 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’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime,” he explained, adding: “It’s also a sin to lack charity “.
Catholic teaching states that while homosexuals should be treated with respect, homosexual acts are the result of a disorder. Francis hasn’t changed that doctrine, but he has made outreach to the LGBTQ community a hallmark of the papacy.
Starting with the famous 2013 statement, “Who am I to judge?”, when asked about an allegedly gay priest. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he supported granting legal protection to same-sex couples, an alternative to advocating same-sex marriage, which Catholic doctrine prohibits.
Francis has come under fire from the Catholic LGBTQ community following a 2021 decree from the Vatican’s doctrinal office that says the church cannot bless homosexual unions “because God cannot bless sin.”
The Vatican refused to sign a 2008 UN statement calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality, claiming that the text went beyond its original scope and also contained language about “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” that it considered problematic.
That is why the Vatican urged countries to avoid “unfair discrimination” against homosexuals and to end discriminatory sanctions.
Source: DN
