Pope says homosexuality not a crime

Pope Francis has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust”, saying that “Being homosexual isn’t a crime.”

Francis came up with this remark during an interview on Tuesday with The Associated Press.

He said, “God loves all his children just as they are.”

He called on Catholic bishops who support the laws which criminalize homosexuality, to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.

Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of “sin”, reports Aljazeera.

But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone.

“These bishops have to have a process of conversion,” he said, adding that they should apply “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us”.

Some 67 countries or jurisdictions worldwide criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which can or do impose the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust, which works to end such laws.

In the United States, more than a dozen states still have anti-sodomy laws on the books, despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling declaring them unconstitutional.