Pope Francis says ‘homosexuality is not a crime’ and calls anti-LGBT+ laws ‘unjust’

‘Being homosexual is not a crime. It’s not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin,’ he says

Pope Francis called on Catholic bishops to welcome LGBT+ people into the church, referring to laws criminalising homosexuality as “unjust” and marking a shift in Vatican’s attitude toward gay rights in recent years.

The head of the Catholic Church said there should be a distinction between a crime and sin.

“Being homosexual is not a crime,” he told the Associated Press in an interview. “It’s not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin.”