A victim of clerical sex abuse has said Pope Francis told him God made him gay and his sexuality “does not matter”.
Juan Carlos Cruz spoke privately with the pontiff last week about the
abuse he suffered at the hands of a prominent Chilean priest.
After his sexuality came up in conversation, Francis reportedly told
him: “Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like
that and loves you like this and I don’t care. The Pope loves you like
this. You have to be happy with who you are.”
The comments are arguably the most explicit acceptance of
homosexuality publicly spoken by a head of the Roman Catholic church,
which teaches that gay sex is a sin.
It is not the first time Francis’ remarks have suggested a shift in attitudes. In 2013,
he told reporters:
“If someone is gay and is looking for the Lord, who am I to judge him?
You should not discriminate against or marginalise these people.”
The subject of homosexuality arose in Mr Cruz’s conversation with
Francis because some of Chile’s bishops had sought to portray him as a
pervert who was lying about the abuse, he told
El Pais.
His abuser, Fernando Karadima, now 87, was found guilty by the
Vatican of sexually assaulting children in 2011. He was barred from
clerical duties and sentenced to a lifetime of “penance and prayer” but
has never faced a criminal trial.
Juan Carlos Cruz was a key whistleblower in Chile’s clerical sex abuse scandal (AP)
This week all of Chile’s 34 Roman Catholic bishops offered the pope
their resignation over a sex abuse and cover-up scandal that has rocked
the country’s churches.
It is not yet clear whether Francis has accepted their offer to step down.
Mr Cruz said the Pope had personally apologised to him for the abuse he suffered during their meeting this week.
“I was thrilled that he took what we talked about so seriously,” he
added. “I felt the visit was not just a matter of protocol, of public
relations.”
The Vatican has not yet commented on the Pope’s reported remarks on homosexuality.
Source: The Independent
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