Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians owe apologies to gays and
others who have been offended or exploited by the church, remarks that some
Catholics hailed as a breakthrough in the church's tone toward homosexuality.
"I repeat what
the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: that they must not be
discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally," Francis said at a press conference aboard the papal plane returning from Armenia.
discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally," Francis said at a press conference aboard the papal plane returning from Armenia.
"The Church must
ask forgiveness for not behaving many times -- when I say the Church, I mean
Christians! The Church is holy, we are sinners!"
As he often does
during unscripted moments -- particularly papal news conferences --
the Pope
spoke expansively, saying the church should seek forgiveness for a number of
historical slights committed in its name.
"I believe
that the church not only should apologize to the person who is gay whom it has
offended," he added, "but has to apologize to the poor, to exploited
women, to children exploited for labor; it has to ask forgiveness for having
blessed many weapons."
The Rev. James
Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America magazine, called the
Pope's apology to gays and lesbians "a groundbreaking moment."
"While St.
John Paul II apologized to several groups in 2000 -- the Jewish people,
indigenous peoples, immigrants and women, among them -- no pope has ever come
close to apologizing to the LGBT community. And the Pope is correct of course.
First, because forgiveness is an essential part of the Christian life. And
second, because no group feels more marginalized in the church today than LGBT
people."
The Pope's comments
came in response to a question about a German Cardinal who said the Catholic
Church should apologize for being "very negative" about gays.
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