Campaign welcomes Pope's call for global decriminalisation of LGBT people

The LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council has welcomed Pope Francis' call for the global decriminalisation of LGBT+ people. Interviewed by Associated Press, Pope Francis has said that homosexuality is not a crime and that such laws are "unjust," and that the Catholic Church can and should work to put an end to them. "It must do this. It must do this,"

Ruby Almeida, LGBT+ Catholics Westminster's Chairperson said: "These are wonderful words and a powerful message that we at the LGBT+ Catholics of Westminster are overjoyed to hear from Pope Francis. There are many in our community who fled persecution and violence from the unjust laws in their countries and have sought safe refuge in the UK.

We are glad to hear the Pope reiterate that 'We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity,' and pray that many countries around the world who continue to uphold old colonial laws will dispense them and bring equality and justice to our LGBT+ people."

LGBT+ Catholics Westminster also point out a mistranslation in some English versions of the Papal interview, where he is wrongly attributed as stating that homosexuality is a sin. In fact, the Pope uses a rhetorical comment. After stating that homosexuality is not a crime, he then immediately puts a remark into the mouth of an imagined objector to that claim: "but it is a sin". He then says to his imaginary objector "OK, let's distinguish between sin and crime - it's also a sin to lack charity towards someone else, so how are you doing on that score?" All this ends with a simple truth claim "It's not a crime, it's a human condition."

Even the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's teaching in the matter conceded, in 1986, under the leadership of the then Cardinal Ratzinger, that the homosexual inclination is not itself a sin.

LGBT+ Catholics Westminster is Westminster Diocese's pastoral outreach to and with LGBT+ Catholics, parents and families. It includes a significant number of refugees and asylum-seekers within its community, from various African countries, Central & Latin America, Sri Lanka, and some Eastern European countries.