Pope Francis sought to tone down recent comments that reaffirmed the doctrinal position that homosexuality is viewed as a sin. The pope said he was referring to official Catholic moral teaching, which states that any sexual act outside of marriage is considered sacrilegious.
In a note published this Friday (27), Francis recalls that even this teaching is subject to circumstances that can eliminate sin. The demonstration came after the pope was criticized for the previous statement by groups defending LGBTQIA+ rights.
In an interview with the Associated Press published Wednesday (25th), the pope said homosexuality was “not a crime but a sin”. “Okay, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to homosexuality as “acts of grave depravity”, described as “intrinsically disturbed”. However, the Church defends that homosexuals must be “accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity” and says that “any evidence of unfair discrimination must be avoided”.
In light of the implications of the interview, American priest James Martin, who supports the Church’s acceptance of homosexual behavior, asked Francis this Friday (27th) for clarification.
Out there
In 2013, his first year at the head of the Catholic Church, Francis declared that he could not reject homosexuals who sought comfort in God. “Who am I to judge?” he said at the time. The speech filled LGBTQIA+ Catholics with the hope of being accepted unreservedly within the institution.
Eight years later, he gave the Vatican the green light to direct clergy not to bless samesex partnerships. “God cannot bless sin,” says the document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which formulates norms for believers in the world’s largest Christian movement.
In the interview, Francis acknowledged that Catholic leaders in some parts of the world still support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQIA+ community. “These bishops need a conversion process,” the pope said, adding that such leaders must act with tenderness — “please, as God has done for each of us.”