Pope Francis has firmly reiterated his stance that the Catholic Church is open to everyone, including LGBTQ+ individuals and all other marginalised communities.
“The Lord is clear: The sick, the elderly, the young, old, ugly, beautiful, good and bad,” he stated during an in-flight press conference as he returned from his five-day trip to Portugal for World Youth Day.
Despite his strong stance on inclusivity, an incident occurred the same day when a Mass for LGBTQ+ pilgrims was interrupted by protestors. This interruption highlighted the challenges faced by LGBTQ Catholics in today’s church.
The Pope responded to questions about exclusions from sacraments, saying that the church’s laws do not mean it’s closed to individuals. “They must be accompanied by the church,” he stressed.
During his visit, which attracted more than 1.5 million pilgrims for the final Sunday Mass of World Youth Day, the Pope consistently repeated that everyone is welcome in the Catholic Church.
Francis also met with 13 survivors of clergy sexual abuse, addressing a crisis that has shaken the Portuguese Catholic Church. A recent report exposed the abuse of more than 4,800 children since 1950, and the Pope expressed belief in the local church’s progress in response.
“We’re looking for serenity for the victims,” Francis explained, emphasising the need to “grab the bull by the horns” to combat abuse.
Francis spoke candidly about the need for changes in the church, especially regarding homilies. He emphasised the necessity of “clear, simple ideas” and called for limited duration to under 10 minutes, expressing concern about young people’s attention span.
He also strongly addressed the plight of migrants, describing the current situation as “criminal.”
