Pope francis on being gay
(Image source: Yara Nardi for Reuters)
Pope Francis acknowledges my gay identity more than my own grandmother – a surprising contrast, considering they are both devout Catholics of the matching generation. Somehow, a childless monarch of the Vatican City State has been more accepting than a woman who helped hoist me.
My grandmother loves me unconditionally but never utters the word “gay.” I’ve always interpreted her silence on the matter as a casualty of faith. Catholicism’s condemnation of homosexuality feels deeply ingrained in history and culture. And yet, Pope Francis has taken strides to construct the church more accepting to LGBTQ people.
As someone who renounced Catholicism, I found it revolutionary that the most powerful voice in the Catholic church is working toward some form of LGBTQ inclusion. But to what extent? I needed to realize the pontiff’s views of queer people.
Fabio Marchese Ragona, author of the pope’s forthcoming official biography, Life: My Story Through History, told me that to grasp his pastoral direction, often inaccurately perceived as excessively progressive compared to his predecessors, we must delve into his origins and upbringing.
Ragona, a
Pope Francis clarifies comments on homosexuality: &#;One must evaluate the circumstances.&#;
This week, in an interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis became the first pope to call for the decriminalization of homosexuality. It was an historic step towards the Catholic Church&#;s protection of vulnerable LGBTQ people around the earth. (Read our coverage of the pope&#;s recent remarks here.)
During his interview, the Holy Father imagined a hypothetical conversation in which a person might dissent by saying, &#;Being queer is a sin,&#; and the pope suggested a response: &#;It&#;s also a sin to lack nonprofit with one another.&#;
Some media outlets, however, ascribed these sentiments directly to the pope, even though church teaching does not state that the lesbian orientation itself is a sin. As the pope said in his interview, as he has on other occasions: &#;It is a human condition.&#;
To help clarify things, Outreach asked the Holy Father three questions, in Spanish, and received a written response from him. We framed these questions as an interview, in directive that he knew that his responses would be made public. Our three questions were:
- Holy Father, express gratitude y
Seven Quotes That Build Pope Francis Complicated for LGBTQ+ People
Francis' tenure as pope has also been notable by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, gender nonconforming and queer (LGBTQ+) society for his adoption of a more conciliatory tone toward LGBTQ+ people than that of his predecessors. "But anyone who utters Christian words without putting them into practice hurts oneself and others," said Pope Francis in
So where does Pope Francis stand on LGBTQ+ people?
ON INCLUSION[07/]
"If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?"Let's start off with one of the most definitive moments in Francis' papacy for LGBTQ+ people. When asked about gay priests during a spontaneous exchange with the press, he responded, "If they [gay priests] accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to evaluate them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency [same-sex attraction] is not the problem they're our brothers."1
The fact that Pope Francis made such a comment – and used the word "gay" in English – was radical, and helped propel significant conversations in parishes and dioceses on LGBTQ+ equality to this day. But more importantly, his comment establish the tone and approach to t
Today, April 21, , Pope Francis passed away. Pope Francis has repeatedly urged acceptance of LGBTQ people and considered how foremost the Roman Catholic Church can support and minister to them.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said: “Pope Francis was a transformational leader who included LGBTQ people in historic ways. Having had the honor of gathering with Pope Francis twice, I witnessed first-hand his dedication to make a Church for all, not just some. His principles of empathetic listening, inclusion, and compassion are exactly what this divided planet needs right now. When Pope Francis spoke out against the act of criminalizing LGBTQ people and when he famously spoke ‘who am I to judge,’ he created an example of unity that faith and civil leaders should follow.”
In , and , Pope Francis met with GLAAD staff, LGBTQ advocates from Uganda and Ghana-where the LGBTQ group is being targeted by anti-LGBTQ legislation, and gender nonconforming people, including transgender actress Nava Mau. Mau spoke about the meeting at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards: “(Pope Francis) told us he wishes us all the love and success we desire, and he told us that we should keep fighting.”
LGBTQ advoca
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