In brief letter, Pope Francis speaks to LGBTQ Catholics

A mini-interview with the Holy Father

On May 5, on behalf of Outreach, I asked Pope Francis if he would be willing to respond to a few of the most common questions that I am asked by LGBTQ Catholics and their families. 

In my note, written in Spanish, I offered three questions and said that he could be as brief as he wished, especially since he was suffering from a flareup of pain in his knee, and respond in any form that he would like. We proposed this as a mini-interview. Three days later, I received a handwritten note with his answers.  

“With respect to your questions,” he wrote, “a very simple response occurs to me.”

We are delighted to share the Holy Father’s answers (along with the text of his letter in the original Spanish and an English translation) with the LGBTQ Catholic community and their friends today.

Outreach: What would you say is the most important thing for LGBT people to know about God?

Pope Francis: God is Father and he does not disown any of his children. And “the style” of God is “closeness, mercy and tenderness.” Along this path you will find God.

Outreach: What would you like LGBT people to know about the church?

Pope Francis: I would like for them to read the book of the Acts of the Apostles. There they will find the image of the living church.

Outreach: What do you say to an LGBT Catholic who has experienced rejection from the church?

Pope Francis: I would have them recognize it not as “the rejection of the church,” but instead of “people in the church.” The church is a mother and calls together all her children. Take for example the parable of those invited to the feast: “the just, the sinners, the rich and the poor, etc.” [Matthew 22:1-15; Luke 14:15-24]. A “selective” church, one of “pure blood,” is not Holy Mother Church, but rather a sect.

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Questions in Spanish:

1. ¿Qué diría que es lo más importante que las personas LGBT deben saber de Dios?
2. ¿Qué le gustaría que la gente LGBT supiera sobre la iglesia?
3. ¿Qué le dice a un católico LGBT que ha está experimentado el rechazo de la iglesia?

The text of Pope Francis’ letter in Spanish:

Querido hermano, 

Gracias por tu correo. 

Respecto a tus preguntas se me ocurre una respuesta muy sencilla.

1. Dios es Padre y no reniega de ninguno de sus hijos. Y “el estilo” de Dios es “cercanía, misericordia y ternura”. Por este camino encontrarás a Dios. 
2. Me gustaría que leyeran el libro de los Hechos de los Apóstoles. Allí está la imagen de la Iglesia viviente.
3. Le haría ver que no es “el rechazo de la Iglesia” sino de “personas de la Iglesia”. La Iglesia es madre y convoca a todos sus hijos. Cfr. la parábola de los invitados a la fiesta: “justos, pecadores, ricos y pobres, etc”. Una Iglesia “selectiva”, una Iglesia de “pura sangre”, no es la Santa Madre Iglesia, sino una secta.

Gracias por todo lo que hacés. Rezo por vos, por favor hacélo por mí.

Que Jesús te bendiga y la Virgen Santa te cuide.

Fraternalmente, 

Francisco.

English translation of the letter:

Dear brother,

Thank you for your letter.

With respect to your questions, a very simple response occurs to me.

1. God is Father and he does not disown any of his children. And “the style” of God is “closeness, mercy and tenderness.” In this way (or along this path) you will find God.
2. I would like for them to read the book of the Acts of the Apostles. There they will find the image of the living church.
3. I would have them recognize it not as the “rejection of the church,” but instead “of people in the church.” The church is mother and calls together all of her children. Take for example the parable of those invited to the feast: “the just, the sinners, the rich and the poor, etc.” A “selective” church, one of “pure blood,” is not the Holy Mother Church, but rather a sect.

Thank you for everything you do. I pray for you, please do so for me.

May Jesus bless you and may the Holy Virgin guard you.

Fraternally, 

Francis