The Catholic Church does not refuse LGBT Catholics, Pope Francis said Monday.
Answering three questions from Jesuit Father James Martin on LGBT Catholics and what he would say to one of them “who suffered a refusal by the Church”, Francis replied: “I’d like them to recognize it not as ‘the Church’s refusal’ but rather by ‘persons in the Church’.” He said “the Church is a mother and calls together all its children. “Let’s take as an example the parable of those invited to the feast: ‘the righteous, the sinners, the rich and the poor, etc’ (Matthew 22: 1-15; Luke 14: 15-24). “A ‘selective’ Church, of ‘pure blood’ is not the Holy Mother Church, but rather a sect”. Gay Catholics are allowed to practise their religion as long as they are not sexually active. Church dogma says homosexuality is a disorder but the pope once famously said “who am I to judge (them)”.
