Headline RoundupJanuary 27th, 2023

What Could the Pope's Comments Mean for Laws on LGBTQ Issues?

Summary from the AllSides News Team

"Being homosexual isn't a crime," Pope Francis said in a recent interview with the Associated Press (Lean Left bias). What could that mean for laws regarding religion and LGBTQ issues around the world?

For Context: The pope later added that being gay is "not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime." Pope Francis previously urged acceptance of the LGBTQ community, saying in 2020 that "“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family." The remarks don't change the church's official position on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. In 2021, the Vatican said the church could not bless same-sex marriages. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that gay people "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity" but are "called to chastity."

Positive Shift?: A writer for Slate implied that the comments could spark legal reform in Catholic-centric countries, and said the pope "called on bishops in regions with harsh views of gay people to rid themselves of that mentality."

Negative Shift?: A Christian columnist said that "We are witnessing a monumental event in the history of the Church, the beginning of an outright civil war in the church."

Status Quo?: A writer for The Daily Wire criticized the AP and for purportedly inflating the story, and said that "Pope Francis has long said that the Catholic Church is open to all" and "Jesus Christ famously preached tolerance and understanding for all of God’s children."

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