Pope Francis wanted to clarify his statements on homosexuality and said that those who criminalize it “are wrong”

After stating in an interview that Homosexuality “is a sin”, but not a crime, Pope Francis has tried to clarify through a handwritten letter addressed to a Jesuit close to the LGTBIQ community.

Anyone who criminalizes homosexuality is “making a mistake,” the pope said Francis in a letter published on Saturday. Francisco underlined that in the interview he wanted to “clarify that (homosexuality) is not a crime, to underline that any criminalization is not good or right”.

“When I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to the Catholic moral teaching which affirms it Any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin.” wrote the Pope.

In an interview published last Wednesday, the 86-year-old Pope said that being homosexual “is not a crime (…) but it is a sin”. In that same note, published by Associated pressclaimed that heLaws criminalizing homosexuality were ‘unfair’ and that “being homosexual is not a crime”.

As usual for him, Francis then envisioned a conversation with someone raising the issue of the Church’s official catechism, which states that homosexual acts are sinful, or “intrinsically disordered.”

“Well, first let’s distinguish sin from crime,” the pope said in mock dialogue. “But the lack of charity towards one’s neighbor is also a sin.”

However, these words didn’t sit well with much of the community.

From this, the Argentine pontiff responded to a letter by the American priest James Martinwho asked for clarifications on the comments the Pope made during his conversation with POPE.

“His words calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality were hailed by LGBTQ activists as a milestone that would help end bullying and violence against people in the community. But his reference to ‘sin’ raised questions that he believed that just being gay was in itself a sin,” wrote Martin, an American Jesuit who runs the Outreach service for LGBTIQ Catholics.

In his letter, published in Outreach, Francesco reiterated this Homosexuality is not a crimeand said he spoke “to emphasize that any criminalization is not good or right.”

“When I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to the Catholic moral doctrine which says that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin,” the Pope wrote in Spanish, emphasizing the last sentence.

But, hinting at his case-by-case pastoral approach, he stressed that even that teaching is subject to consideration of circumstances, “that diminish or cancel the guilt.

He acknowledged that he should have been clearer in his interview with POPEbut having said that used “natural and conversational language” which did not require precise definitions.

“As you see, I was repeating something generic. She should have said, “It’s as sinful as any sexual act outside of marriage.” This, speaking of the ‘matter’ of sin, but we know well that Catholic morality, in addition to the matter, evaluate freedom, intention; and this, for all kinds of sin”He added.

Some 67 countries or jurisdictions worldwide criminalize consensual same-sex relationships and 11 of them can or do apply the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust, which works to end such laws. Experts point out that even when laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigma and violence against LGBTQ people.

Catholic doctrine prohibits same-sex marriage, affirming it the sacrament of marriage is a permanent bond between a man and a woman. Reserve sexual relations for married couples and prohibit artificial contraception.

In his decade-long pontificate, Francis has upheld that doctrine, but made engaging the LGBTQ community a priority. Furthermore, he emphasized a more merciful approach in applying the doctrine, accompany people instead of judging them.

With information from agencies

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