As communities across the United States rally for acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Vatican has garnered criticism for its hard-line stance in opposition to the LGBTQ+ community. Long regarded as a figurehead of traditionalism, the Vatican has historically based its views on matters concerning homosexuality and gender diversity on conservative interpretations of scripture. However, in recent years, Pope Francis has made attempts to shift away from secularism toward the LGBTQ+ population.
In January 2023, during an interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis shocked the Catholic community by declaring that, “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” the first time a Pope has spoken publicly against laws criminalizing homosexuality. This is largely in line with his stance that the Roman Catholic Church should welcome everyone and not discriminate against parishioners based on sexuality.
In late 2023, the Pope approved the baptism of transgender members of the church, which allows them to become baptismal sponsors (godparents) and witnesses at weddings. This reversed an absolute ban from 2015 that forbade transgender individuals from being appointed as godparents during baptism. However, this decision was not universally supported within the Catholic Church. Pope Francis’ declaration was made with the caveat of allowing baptisms as long as “there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal, or disorientation among the faithful.”