Pope Francis responded to questions frequently asked by LGBT Catholics and their families in a letter addressed to the Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin.
In it, the Pope says that the most important thing for LGBT people to know about God is that He “does not disown any of his children,” adding that a church that is selective of its members is a “sect.”
To LGBT persons who have felt rejected by the Church, the Pope says to recognize the rejection as not coming from the Church itself, but from certain people within it.
It's not the first time Pope Francis writes Fr. Martin to praise his work in building bridges between the Church and the LGBT community. In June, he sent him a letter writing that the heart of God is open “to each and everyone.”
Since the start of his papacy, Pope Francis has walked the line between accepting LBGT and upholding Church teaching, an idea he reiterated on his return trip from Georgia and Azerbaijan.
POPE FRANCIS
We must accompany people, like Jesus would. When this type of person comes before Jesus, He will never answer 'Leave because you are a homosexual!', no. However, during this trip, I have underlined the evilness of indoctrinating in gender ideologies.
The Pope also recommended that LGBT people read the Acts of the Apostles, where he says they will “find the living image of the Church.”
JM
