“Homosexuality is ‘not a crime’ but a ‘sin’ – Pope Francis says

Pope Francis said in an interview on Tuesday with the American news agency Associated Press (AP) that laws criminalizing homosexuality around the world were “unjust” and that this sexual orientation was a “sin”.

“Being gay is not a crime,” Pope Francis told AP.

“It’s not a crime. Yes, but it is a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime. It is also a sin to lack charity towards one another,” he added.

Asked about the attitude of priests who support discrimination against LGBT people, Pope Francis felt that they should rather engage in “a process of conversion” and have “tenderness”.