Homosexuality not a crime – Pope Francis

Homosexuality not a crime – Pope Francis

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. Francis told The Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday that being homosexual is not illegal.

Francis admitted that Catholic bishops support laws that prohibit homosexuality or discriminate 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.

He said, “These bishops must go through a conversion process,” pleading with them to show “tenderness, please, as God has for each 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.

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Francis called such regulations “unjust” and suggested that the Catholic Church fight to abolish them. 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 told the AP in the Vatican guesthouse where he stays, “We are all children of God, and God loves us for the strength that everyone of us fights for our dignity. These rules, which date to British colonial era or are influenced by Islamic law, are widespread throughout 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 Vatican No. met with the organizations rather than the pope, who did not.

2, who once again underlined “the dignity of every human being and against all forms of violence.”

Francis stated on Tuesday that with regards to homosexuality, there should be a distinction made between a crime and a sin. He declared that being homosexual is not illegal. Okay, but let’s first define the differences between a sin and a crime. Lack of goodwill toward one another is likewise a sin, he continued.

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.

Starting with his famous 2013 declaration, “Who am I to judge?” when he was asked about a purportedly gay priest, Francis has gone on to minister repeatedly and publicly to the gay and trans community.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he favored granting legal protections to same-sex couples as an alternative to endorsing gay marriage, which Catholic doctrine forbids.

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 approve sin.”

In 2008, the Vatican rejected to ratify a U.N.

declaration that advocated for the decriminalization of homosexuality, claiming the wording deviated from its intended intent and contained objectionable language regarding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”

The Vatican at the time urged nations to avoid “unjust discrimination” against LGBT people and to stop enforcing laws against them in a statement.

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