Pope Francis said Sunday that laws criminalizing LGBT people are a sin and an injustice because God loves and accompanies people with same-sex attraction.
Francis, who made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question aboard the plane returning from a trip to two African countries, received full support for his comments from two other Christian leaders traveling with him on the plane.
“The criminalization of homosexuality is a problem that cannot be ignored,” Francis said, citing unidentified statistics that show 50 countries criminalize LGBT people “in one way or another” and about 10 more have laws that include the death penalty for them.
A total of 66 UN member states continue to criminalize consensual same-sex relations, according to data from ILGA World, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. In several countries where same-sex relations are illegal, punishments may include the death penalty.
“This is not right. People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God loves you. God accompanies them … condemning such a person is a sin. Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice,” he said.
According to him, the catechism of the Catholic Church, or book of teachings, says that same-sex attraction is not a sin, but homosexual acts are. It also ensures that LGBT people should not be marginalized.
Francis travelled to South Sudan, the second country on the tour, as a pilgrimage of peace alongside Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Church of Scotland General Assembly moderator Iain Greenshields.
Both Christian leaders were on the plane back and participated in the pope’s regular press conference with reporters. Both praised his comments.
“I totally agree with his every word,” Welby said, noting that the Anglican communion itself is divided over gay rights and that two resolutions against the criminalization of LGBT people “have not changed many people’s minds.”
Welby added: “I will certainly quote the Holy Father. He has said it very beautifully and precisely.”
Expressing his own support for Francis, Greenshields referred to the Bible, saying, “In my reading of the four Gospels I don’t see Jesus rejecting anyone. Nowhere in the four Gospels do I see anything other than Jesus expressing love to whomever he meets and, as Christians, that is the only expression we can give to any human being in any circumstance.”
Francis repeated that the Catholic Church cannot allow sacramental marriage for same-sex couples, but that he supports so-called civil union legislation that gives same-sex couples legal protection in matters such as pensions, inheritance and health care.
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