Pope Francis said Catholic Church bishops need to do more to support those in the LGBTQ community, especially in those countries where they are persecuted.
The UN also said such laws violate rights to privacy and freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. They are also a breach of international law to protect the human rights of all people, per the international body.
Francis also said gays must be welcomed and respected:"We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity." The Pope has made embracing the LGBTQ community a hallmark of his papacy but he has not challenged or changed Catholic teachings, which say people must be treated with respect but homosexuality is"intrinsically disordered."Francis repeatedly and publicly ministered to the gay and trans community and once favored granting legal protections to same-sex couples without wholely endorsing gay marriage, which Catholic doctrine forbids.
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