Pope Francis: Laws that criminalize homosexuality are a sin and injustice

THE Pope Francis said on Sunday (5/2) that laws that criminalize members of the LGBTQI+ community are “sin and injustice” because God loves and protects people who feel same-sex attraction.

The pontiff made this statement in response to a journalist’s question on the plane he is returning to the Vatican with after his tour of Africa. The head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and the head of the General Synod of the Church of Scotland, Ian Greenshields, who accompanied him on his trip to South Sudan, welcomed his view and said they shared it.

“The criminalization of homosexuality is a problem we cannot ignore“, continued the pope as reported by the Athens News Agency. He then cited some statistics according to which 50 countries apply criminal laws against the LGBTI+ community “in one way or another” and the legislation of about ten others even provides for the death penalty for these people.

Based on data from ILGA World (International LGBTQ+ Federation), 66 UN member countries still criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations. In many countries where homosexuality is illegal, the death penalty can be imposed as punishment.

“This is not right. People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God loves them. God protect them… to condemn a person in this way is a sin. Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice,” the pope continued. He recalled that in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, only homosexual acts are considered a sin and not same-sex attraction. He also added that members of the LGBTI+ community should not be marginalized.

Francis also cited his now famous saying, shortly after his election in 2013, that he cannot judge people who feel same-sex attraction and seek God. He also recalled that during a visit to Ireland in 2018 he said that parents should not disown their LGBTQ+ children but keep them in a loving family.