Pope Francis said Catholic Church bishops need to do more to support those in the LGBTQ community, especially in those countries where they are persecuted.
The UN also said such laws violate rights to privacy and freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. They are also a breach of international law to protect the human rights of all people, per the international body.
Francis called these laws"unjust," and said the Catholic Church could and should work to put an end to them."It must do this. It must do this," he emphasized. Francis also said gays must be welcomed and respected:"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." Pope Francis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The Pope has made embracing the LGBTQ community a hallmark of his papacy but he has not challenged or changed Catholic teachings, which say people must be treated with respect but homosexuality is"intrinsically disordered."Francis repeatedly and publicly ministered to the gay and trans community and once favored granting legal protections to same-sex couples without wholely endorsing gay marriage, which Catholic doctrine forbids. Despite the appreciable remarks, the Pontiff has been careful not to use the Vatican’s doctrine office to support or bless same-sex unions"because God cannot bless sin," he said in 2021. Pope 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 homosexuality in terms of "sin." Such laws that impose the death penalty for homosexuality are common in Africa and the Middle East, some of which are inspired by Islamic law.Catholic bishops are somewhat torn on the issue as some maintain a literal interpretation of Scripture and do not recognize homosexual relations, while others call for laws against homosexuality to be overturned.Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox
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