Forest Hills ministry supports Pope Francis criticizing laws criminalizing homosexuality
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — In an interview with The Associated Press published Wednesday, Pope Francis said "being homosexual is not a crime."
In the interview, he criticized laws in countries that criminalized members of the LGBTQ community. For a ministry in the Forest Hills area, the interview drove home what it has been preaching: all sisters and brothers are welcome.
According to the AP, Pope Francis said there are some Catholic bishops who support laws against LGBTQ people. He called on people and bishops to "recognize the dignity of everyone."
"To consider someone to be criminal just by being who they are, who God made them to be, that itself to me would be the crime," Deacon Herb Riley with St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Forest Hills said.
Riley works with the Catholic LGBTQ ministry. St. Mary Magdalene Parish is in the city's East End and is also part of the ministry. It works to affirm all that who are baptized regardless of sexual orientation or identity are called to full participation in the life, worship, and mission of the church.
"We believe that's how God made them and we are to accept them as our sisters and brothers and welcome them as anybody else," Deacon Riley said.
The AP said Pope Francis didn't specifically address transgender or non-binary people, just homosexuality. Deacon Riley says this message from the pope reaffirms their work. He believes there is still work to be done with making people feel accepted, but added the church is evolving.
"Anytime the pope makes a statement about the LGBTQ community, it helps all of us who are trying to work with those folks and to let them know these doors are open and welcome to everybody," Deacon Riley said.
According to the deacon, there are certainly still prejudices against the LGBTQ community. He feels the root cause of that hate is ignorance and people not wanting to open their hearts and minds.
"Things we don't understand we tend to fear, and when we fear something that leads to hate. If we can just get to know one another, we can break a lot of those barriers that lead to hate," Deacon Riley said.
Now, this does not change church doctrine. Where this message from the pope says the LGBTQ community is welcome in church, it doesn't change their stance on not performing same-sex marriages.