Pope Francis

Pope Francis has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as "unjust," saying God loves all his children just as they are.

In a statement at the time, the Vatican urged countries to avoid “unjust discrimination” against gay people and end penalties against them. 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. In 2008, the Vatican declined to sign onto a U.N. Some Catholic bishops have strongly upheld them as consistent with Vatican teaching, while others have called for them to be overturned as a violation of basic human dignity. Yes, but it’s a sin,” he said. 2 did and reaffirmed “the dignity of every human person and against every form of violence.” Experts say even where the laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigmatization and violence against LGBTQ people. Instead, the Vatican No. In the U.S., more than a dozen states still have anti-sodomy laws on the books, despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling declaring them unconstitutional. It must do this,” he said. Francis’ remarks come ahead of a trip to Africa, where such laws are common as they are in the Middle East. “It must do this.

The pope maintained that gay acts are a sin, but told the Associated Press that the Catholic Church must work to end "unjust" anti-gay laws around the ...

The issue of how the church approaches LGBT issues could come to a boiling point during an extraordinary churchwide assembly that Francis is convening in October. That decree, signed by Francis, came even after he had been [quoted in a documentary](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-francis-civil-unions/2020/10/21/805a601c-139e-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_16) as advocating for civil union laws. Although Francis criticized the criminalization of homosexuality, he made it clear he believes gay acts are a sin. A preparatory Vatican document cited calls from parts of the church to become more welcoming to those who “feel a tension between belonging to the Church and their own loving relationships.” The church teaches that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered,” and though Francis has tried to use a more welcoming tone toward LGBT Catholics — 3 to 5.

He stressed that lack of charity with one another is also a sin and added that the Catholic Church should work to put an end to laws in some countries that ...

He added that the Catholic Church should work to put an end to laws in some countries that criminalize homosexuality. He stressed the need to distinguish between the two, and said, for example, that lack of charity with one another is also a sin. [since the death of former Pope Benedict XVI](https://www.npr.org/2022/12/31/898524253/pope-benedict-xvi-dies), Pope Francis spoke about his health, his critics and the future of the papacy.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says he hasn't considered issuing norms to regulate future papal resignations and plans to continue for as long as he can ...

“Of the vision of a pope, of a system. But he added: “He was a great guy. Francis has said Benedict “opened the door” to future resignations, and that he too would consider stepping down. “I wouldn’t relate it to Benedict, but because of the wear-and-tear of a government of 10 years,” Francis said of his critics. “If it’s not like this, there would be a dictatorship of distance, as I call it, where the emperor is there and no one can tell him anything. Francis has been attacked for years by conservatives and traditionalists who object to his priorities of social justice issues such as poverty, migration and the environment. criticism helps you to grow and improve things,” he said. Then came discomfort “when they started to see my flaws and didn’t like them,” he said of his critics. “I lost a good companion.” “For me, he was a security. But Francis said Benedict’s death hadn’t altered his calculations. [his first interview](/article/pope-francis-ap-interview-highlights-8b9ec42afec4e0c0691a54f756b257bc) since the Dec.

LGBTQ+ advocates hail Pope's rejection of sexual orientation as crime and call to bishops to resist anti-gay laws as 'milestone'

But he has made reaching out to LGBTQ+ people a hallmark of his papacy. Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalise homosexuality or discriminate against LGBTQ+ people, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of “sin”. Church teaching holds that homosexual acts are sinful, or “intrinsically disordered”, but that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect. Some Catholic bishops have strongly upheld them as consistent with Vatican teaching, while others have called for them to be overturned as a violation of basic human dignity. Experts say even where the laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigmatisation and violence against LGBTQ+ people. But they are also consistent with his overall approach to LGBTQ+ people and his

In an interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis says being homosexual "isn't a crime" and that Catholic bishops should welcome members of the LGBTQ ...

In a new interview published Wednesday, Pope Francis said the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI meant he had lost a “good companion” and a father figure.

“For me, he was a security. 31, 2022, at the age of 95 — as a “gentleman.” In a new interview published Wednesday, Pope Francis said the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI meant he had lost a “good companion” and a father figure.

He stressed that lack of charity with one another is also a sin and added that the Catholic Church should work to put an end to laws in some countries that ...

He added that the Catholic Church should work to put an end to laws in some countries that criminalize homosexuality. He stressed the need to distinguish between the two, and said, for example, that lack of charity with one another is also a sin. Pope Francis says homosexuality is not a crime in a new interview

"Being homosexual is not a crime ... but it's a sin," the pope told AP in an interview published today.

[Pope Francis says homosexuality in the clergy "worries" him](https://www.axios.com/2018/12/02/pope-francis-says-homosexuality-in-the-clergy-worries-him) It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another." [Vatican in a decree](https://www.axios.com/2021/03/15/pope-vatican-priests-bless-gay-unions) approved by the pope said Catholic priests cannot bless such unions because God "does not and cannot bless sin."

Pope Francis criticized legislation that criminalizes homosexuality, urging Catholic bishops to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.

when he was asked about a purportedly gay priest, Francis has gone on to minister repeatedly and publicly to the gay and trans community. Francis has not changed that teaching, but he has made reaching out to the LGBTQ community a hallmark of his papacy. The Vatican in 2008 declined to sign onto a U.N. 2, who reaffirmed "the dignity of every human person and against every form of violence." 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. Experts say even where the laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigmatization and violence against LGBTQ people.

In an interview published Wednesday, Pope Francis decried the German Synodal Way as elitist and running the risk of bringing ideological harm to Church ...

Francis said on Tuesday that the global synod’s aim was to “help this more elitist (German) path so that it does not end badly in some way, but so is also integrated into the Church.” The 86-year-old pontiff contrasted the German event, which is “The German experience does not help,” the pontiff told Associated Press when asked about the controversial process, explaining that dialogue should involve “all the people of God.”

Pope Francis told Christians Wednesday that if they want to understand Jesus they should pay close attention to the “good news” he brings in his sermon in ...

“This morning I had a meeting with the leaders of the different confessions of faith that are in Ukraine — all united — and they told me about the pain of that people. There can be no sustained commitment to building fraternity together without first dispelling the roots of hatred and violence that fueled the horror of the Holocaust,” he said. The Gospel comes with a sense of wonder and newness that has a name: Jesus.” “And these are the surprises of God. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. God is the master of surprises. It was indeed a promised sign that would come with the Messiah,” he said. How many of us have suffered this?” the pope asked. 25, the pope said that when Jesus enters the synagogue and reads the passage from Isaiah he “then surprises everyone with a very short ‘sermon’ of just one sentence, just one sentence. “One cannot speak of Jesus without joy, because faith is a wonderful love story to be shared. Because it is not we who do great things, but rather the grace of the Lord who, even through us, accomplishes unexpected things.

During his General Audience, Pope Francis continues his cycle of catecheses on apostolic zeal, and tells the faithful that "each day is a time of ...

"For Christ’s followers," the Pope insisted, "every day is thus a 'time of grace' and a new opportunity" to bear witness to the Good News of God's mercy, forgiveness, and new life in Jesus. God is the master of the surprises, the Pope said, noting He is always waiting for us. Instead, when joy is lacking, the Pope warned, the Gospel is not transmitted to others, the Good News, by its very nature, is "a proclamation of joy."

Pope Francis has said that the Catholic church must work to put an end to what he calls "unjust" laws that criminalize homosexuality, which are common in ...

POGGIOLI: And in the last 10 years, he has ministered publicly to the gay and transgender communities. He told the interviewer the church should work to put an end to anti-LGBTQ legislation, stressing it must do this. SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: In a wide-ranging interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis quoted from the catechism of the Catholic Church, saying gay people must be welcomed and respected and should not be marginalized or discriminated against.

Women aren't inherently better preachers than men, but many of them have the gift and the vocation, says executive editor Heidi Schlumpf.

[Barbara Reid](https://www.globalsistersreport.org/node/181598), [president](https://www.globalsistersreport.org/node/194114) of Catholic Theological Union. [Discerning Deacons](https://discerningdeacons.org/), has done three reflections for Catholic Women Preach. A book celebration for Catholic Women Preach will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. "They have a different lived experience that people in the pews can really relate to in their daily life." It's also a justice issue and hurts the church's credibility. Originally launched in Advent 2016 as a project of FutureChurch, the website features 384 reflections by 232 women for Sundays and holy days of obligation — so far. More information about how to attend in person or virtually can be found asks Elizabeth Donnelly, a member of Catholic Women Preach's steering committee and its preaching coordinator. The topic was also brought up during synod listening sessions hosted by Discerning Deacons, she said. The Catholic Women Preach website is seen in a screenshot taken on Jan. Many Catholics would agree that sermons in the average parish could be improved, but length is hardly the most problematic part. (NCR screenshot)

The pontiff has been called a Marxist and a reactionary, but his leadership is more enigmatic.

Whether the enigma that is Francis will be resolved remains to be seen. Against modern moralism, the pontiff views participation in the Eucharist not as a matter of absolute rules, but rather as a rite open to the baptised and the penitent. Francis’s faithfulness to the living tradition is most clearly visible in relation to Catholic social thought, where he builds on the intellectual legacy of his predecessors to promote “common good” thinking. The interview with AP only makes clear his determination not to give up and resign. From the outset of his pontificate, Francis rejected being pigeonholed in ideological categories that are more secular than religious. Yet liberal commentators accuse him of not going far enough in the fight against conservatives, who reduce religion to a single world-view.

Pope Francis has said that the Catholic church must work to put an end to what he calls "unjust" laws that criminalize homosexuality, which are common in ...

POGGIOLI: And in the last 10 years, he has ministered publicly to the gay and transgender communities. He told the interviewer the church should work to put an end to anti-LGBTQ legislation, stressing it must do this. SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: In a wide-ranging interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis quoted from the catechism of the Catholic Church, saying gay people must be welcomed and respected and should not be marginalized or discriminated against.