The Pope said that homosexuality is a sin, but not a crime

Pope Francis clarified his views on homosexuality in an interview with the Associated Press, the Daily Mail reports. The pontiff said that God loves his children as they are, and urged the clergy not to close the doors of churches to LGBTQ representatives. "Being a homosexual is not a crime", - the pope said.

Francis acknowledged that in some countries Catholic bishops support laws that equate homosexuality to a crime, and explained this by tradition. "These bishops must go through the conversion process", - the pope said. He also added that the clergy need to show tenderness in these cases, which "God shows to each of us (...) We are all children of God, and God loves us for who we are, and for the strength with which each of us fights for his dignity (...) Being a homosexual is not a crime. But this is a sin. Let's make a distinction between sin and crime. It is also a sin to lack mercy for each other".

Frequent appeals to the LGBTQ community have become a feature of Francis' papacy. While still Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he advocated providing legal protection to same-sex couples. Nevertheless, in the decree of 2021, he stated that the church cannot bless same-sex unions, "because God cannot bless sin."