Posted on by Randy Slovacek

Pope Francis – ‘Being Homosexual Is Not A Crime’

In an interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis said in clear and direct terms, “Being homosexual isn’t a crime.”
Pope Francis (image via public domain)

In an interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis said in clear and direct terms, “Being homosexual isn’t a crime.”

From APNews:

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press.

Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of “sin.”

But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. Declaring such laws “unjust,” Francis said the Catholic Church can and should work to put an end to them. “It must do this. It must do this,” he said.

According to The Human Dignity Trust, there are 67 countries or jurisdictions around the world where consensual same-sex activity is a crime. Eleven of those countries impose the death penalty for same-sex intimacy.

Related: Catholic League President refuses to follow Pope Francis’ shift from bashing gays

Read the full report here.