Popes position on homosexuality

What Pope Francis said about controversial issues from gay rights to immigration

Pope Francis, one of the more progressive pontiff's in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday morning at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed.

Francis’ willingness to take a more progressive stance on issues from LGBTQ rights to same-sex marriage to immigration make him one of the most progressive and influential popes of the modern era.

Here are memorable moments from Francis' hour where he voiced his opinions on those topics.

Francis' stance on members of the LGBTQ community

In December , Francis formally signed off on allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, he said in a declaration released by the Vatican's office.

The declaration stated, "When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it. For those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection."

"A blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God. The request for

Unearthed comments from new pope alarm LGBTQ+ Catholics

After years of compassionate and inclusive comments from Pope Francis, LGBTQ+ Catholics expressed concern on Thursday about hostile remarks made more than a decade ago by Father Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV, in which he condemned what he called the “homosexual lifestyle” and “the redefinition of marriage” as “at odds with the Gospel”.

In a address to the world synod of bishops, the man who now leads the church said that “Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general adj enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel – for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia”.

In the remarks, of which he also read portions for a video produced by the Catholic News Service, a news agency owned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the cleric blamed mass media for fostering so much “sympathy for anti-Christian lifestyles choices” that “when people hear the Christian message it often inevitably seems ideological and emotionally cruel”.

“Ca

What’s the context?

Some LGBTQ+ Catholics are "disappointed" by the new pontiff's past comments on homosexuality

LONDON - The world was watching as Pope Leo XIV delivered his first mass on Sunday, days after becoming the first American elected pope.

Robert Francis Prevost has used his initial days as leader of the Catholic world to call for peace in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of imprisoned journalists.

LGBTQ+ rights groups are now waiting to see if he will follow in the footsteps of the late Pope Francis, who met with trans women, urged the Catholic Church to seek forgiveness from gay people and allowed priests to bless same-sex couples.

Leo has not discussed LGBTQ+ issues since his election, but previous comments he made about homosexuality have "disappointed" members of the LGBTQ+ faithful.

Here's everything you need to know.

What is Francis' legacy on trans rights?

Francis, who died on April 21, was seen as more accepting of LGBTQ+ rights than previous popes, including his predecessor Benedict, who viewed gay marriage as a threat to t

Pope Francis allows blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions

The Vatican has approved a landmark ruling to allow Roman Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.

A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by Pope Francis on Monday said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all.

Pope slams ‘indifference’ towards migrants arriving in Europe by sea

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Pope opens Vatican meeting amid tensions with conservatives

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‘Terrorism’: Israel-Hamas conflict has gone ‘beyond war’ says Pope Francis

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Pope Francis cancels trip to Dubai’s COP28 over health issues

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The document backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” but “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not ev