In a briefing note cited by the Associated Press (AP), the head of the Catholic Church noted that even this teaching — only between two opposing sides — is subject to circumstances where sin can be completely eliminated.
In an interview with the AP agency on January 24, Pope Francis made questionable comments for the first time, declaring that laws criminalizing homosexuality are “unjustified” and that “homosexuality is not a crime.”
As he likes to do, Francis envisioned a conversation with someone who took issue with official Church teaching that says homosexual acts are sinful or “intrinsically disordered.”
“Okay, but first let’s distinguish between sin and crime,” Francis said in the hypothetical conversation. “It is also a sin not to be charitable to one another,” he added, again quoted by the AP.
The pope’s comments in favor of decriminalizing homosexuality were immediately applauded by LGBTQ supporters, which would help end persecution and violence against LGBTQ people. However, his reference to “sin” raised questions about whether the pope believed homosexuality was a sin.
An American Jesuit who leads an outreach parish for LGBTQ Catholics in the United States, Rev. James Martin, who sought an explanation from the head of the church, published the pope’s handwritten response Friday on the outreach website.
In that note, Pope Francis reaffirmed that homosexuality is “not a crime” and said he spoke on the topic “to emphasize that criminalization is neither good nor fair.”
“When I said it was a sin, I was referring to Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual act outside of marriage is a sin,” Francis wrote in Spanish, underscoring the final sentence.
However, he noted that even this Catholic teaching of the Church requires consideration of circumstances.
Pope acknowledged that he could have been clearer in his comments to the AP, justifying his use of “natural and colloquial language” in an interview that did not require precise definitions.
“As you can see, I usually repeat something. I should have said, “This is a sin, like any sexual act outside of marriage. This is to talk about the problem of sin, but we know very well that Catholic morality not only takes this matter into account, but also values freedom and intention. .and for all kinds of sins”
About 67 countries or jurisdictions around the world criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which carry or carry the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust, which is ending these criminal laws based on sexual and religious morality.
Even when such criminal laws are not enforced, experts say they contribute to harassment, stigma and violence against LGBTQ people.
Catholic doctrine prohibits same-sex marriage, insisting that the sacrament of marriage is a lifelong bond between a man and a woman. At the same time, it bans artificial contraceptives.
Pope Francis has maintained this teaching throughout his pontificate, but has prioritized LGBTQ people. He therefore advocated a more compassionate approach to using church doctrine to walk with people rather than judge them.
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