Pope Francis said Sunday that LGBTQ people and all those people marginalized by the church deserve an apology.
The apology from Pope Francis came in response to a question about recent comments from German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who said that in the wake of the tragic shooting in Orlando, the church owed an apology to LGBTQ people who have been marginalized by the church. In his response, Pope Francis said, “I think the church must not only apologize […] to a gay person it offended, but we must apologize to the poor, to women who have been exploited, to children forced into labor, apologize for having blessed so many weapons.”
“I remember as a child the closed culture of Buenos Aires, the closed Catholic culture, and I come from that,” the Pope continued. “A divorced family could not enter your house. I’m talking about 80 years ago, and the culture has changed and thank God. We Christians have to apologize for many things, not just this.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation welcomed the apology releasing the following statement: “Pope Francis’ words are a welcome step toward bringing LGBTQ Catholics closer into the Church and healing the wounds of those who have felt pushed away from their Church and its teachings,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC’s Senior Vice President for Programs, Research, and Training. “Pope Francis’ message of inclusion and love for all people continues to bring Catholic leadership more in line with the large majority of American Catholics who believe in full equality for their LGBTQ family-members, friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. The vast majority of American Catholics say no to hatred and no to discrimination.”
