Pope Francis: Homosexuality is not a crime, but gay sex is a sin
Is Catholicism under Pope Francis becoming more inclusive, or are they just empty words?
“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” says the current Pope, Pope Francis, in an interview with AP news. The head of the Catholic church continued to express his disdain for “unjust” legislation that discriminates against and criminalises same-sex couples worldwide. However, the comments come as a double-edged sword as the pope still believes that homosexuality and same-sex intercourse is still a sin.
Historically, the Catholic church has had a very negative view of homosexuality and same-sex relationships. However, many deem that progress is being made with Pope Francis, who was elected in 2013, after showing some movement on a topic that has been very much taboo for hundreds of years.
In 2013, Pope Francis raised everyone’s eyebrows after sharing an unexpected comment on gay priests, he said: “If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?” This was one of the most radical quotes from a pope in history. Former popes refused even to acknowledge the existence of gay priests, let alone move towards acceptance. The comment helped shape public perception of Pope Francis as a radical and liberal head of the Catholic church, and it helped trigger a period of planned modernisation of Catholicism as a religion, which has had a decline in popularity due to ongoing scandals around paedophilia and abuse.
“We have to find a way to help that father or that mother to stand by their [LGBTQ] son or daughter.” A year later in 2014, Pope Francis shows some compassion towards some of the hardships that queer people face in relation to their families, and consequently, abandonment. The comments came in an interview with the Argentinian newspaper, La Nacion. “We come across this reality all the time in the confessional: a father and a mother whose son or daughter is in that situation,” he continues.
Although Pope Francis has made a number of progressive quotes regarding LGBTQI+ people, it’s important to remember that the Catholic church’s view of same-sex intimacy is a negative one. The sheer fact that the Pope and the church are firm in their beliefs that homosexuality is a sin indicates that there is a limit to how progressive Catholicism can be. Although it seems that progress is being made, comments remain ambiguous, and sometimes offer nothing of substance to a community that is continuously scapegoated and vilified.
In the coming weeks, Pope Francis will embark on a mammoth trip around Africa, which is home to some of the most hostile countries for LGBTQI+ people. Of the 69 countries that criminalise homosexuality, nearly half are in the continent of Africa. Many consider the timing of Popes Francis’ comments to be significant, as it hopes to set the tone for a tour with inclusivity and togetherness at the heart of it. For others, the comments are merely words that carry little weight.
