VATICAN CITY, AUGUST 3 (ANSA) – Pope Francis sent a letter of encouragement to a Jesuit priest known for advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, saying Jesus was “close to all”.
The correspondence was announced by the priest James Martin, a frequent interlocutor of the first Jesuit pope in the history of the Catholic Church, Jorge Bergoglio.
According to the pastor, the Pope’s letter was a response to the sending of a brochure for the “Outreach” event aimed at encouraging the Church to welcome the LGBTQ+ community.
“The pandemic has made us look for alternatives to shorten distances. It has also taught us that there is such an irreplaceable thing as the power to face those who think differently, or even those whose differences seem to separate us. Or confront us,” Francis wrote.
“Once we overcome these barriers, we realize that what unites us is greater than what separates us. I encourage us to continue to work within a culture of encounter that shortens distances and enriches us with differences, as Jesus, who is close to all, did,” he added.
In another correspondence with Martin last May, Bergoglio said that the Catholic Church does not reject homosexuals and that a “selective” belief risks becoming a “sect”.
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has made several statements that he is open to the LGBTQ+ community, which has even led to him being accused of heresy by ultra-conservative bishops.
In May 2018, the Pope uttered the phrase “God loves you so much” to a gay man who was a victim of pedophilia in Chile. On another occasion, early in his tenure, he stated that he could not “judge” people based on their sexual orientation.
But at the same time, Bergoglio declared that “homosexuality seems fashionable”, while the Vatican lobbied in Italy’s parliament to shelve a bill that criminalizes homophobia and transphobia.
source: Noticias
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