Pope Francis: Christians Should Apologize to Gays and Lesbians for Ill Treatment

Pope Francis in a press conference on June 26 in his plane while returning from Armenia to Rome

(Photo courtesy: CNA)

Pope Francis, after completing his Apostolic Voyage to Armenia on June 24 to 26, spoke on various topics and issues raised by accompanying journalists in his returning plane, reports News.va.

He spoke on the Armenian genocide, Church's relation with the gay men and women (homosexuals), Britain's exit vote for leaving the European Union, some religious and ecumenical issues, women deacons, and more.

Regarding the gay people, the pope remarked that the Church should apologize to them and ask forgiveness for offending them in different ways. Besides, he also said that the Church should ask forgiveness of other groups hurt by Christians, who do not live up to the Gospel.


For more on the Pope and the relationship of the Church with the gay people, please read the following:

• Pope Francis says the Church should apologize to Gays (June 26, 2016)
• Pope Francis says Church should accompany gays, not discriminate (June 26, 2016)
• Papal press conference touches a host of issues (June 27, 2016)
• Pope backs apology to gays, but says it's not just them (June 26, 2016)
• Full Text: Pope Francis' in-flight press conference from Armenia (June 26, 2016)
• Pope: Christians should apologize to gay people (June 27, 2016)
• Pope Francis says Christians should apologise to gay people (June 26, 2015)
• Pope Francis: Church Should Apologize To Gays And Other Marginalized Groups (June 26, 2016)
• Pope Francis says Church should apologise to gays (June 27, 2016)
• Gay Catholic Groups Want the Vatican to Do More Than Apologize (June 27, 2016) 
• Pope Francis signals openness towards gay priests (July 20, 2013)
• Pope Francis: Who am I to judge gay people? (July 29, 2016)
• Same-sex marriage debate: Where does Pope Francis stand on same-sex marriage? (2013)
• Pope Francis [on] Gay Marriage (2013 - 2016)
• Pope Francis compares paedophile priests to 'sacrilegious cult' [Video] (July 7, 2014)
• Pope Francis criticizes gay marriage, backs ban on contraception (January 16, 2015)
• Pope Francis Statement That Changed the Church on LGBT Issues (July 28, 2015)
• Pope Francis offers hope to divorced Catholics, says no to gay marriage (April 8, 2016)
• Pope Francis' gay-friendly comments don't match the Catholic Church's actual policies (June 27, 2016)

U.S. President Barack Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Cartoon courtesy: The Toronto Sun (May 11, 2012)

Cartoon courtesy: The Globe and Mail (Toronto: May 10, 2012)

U.S. President Barack Obama on May 9, in an interview with the ABC News, said he now supports the same-sex (homosexual) marriage in the U.S.A. He said his support for gay marriage evolved through several  years although initially he had supported marriage between a man and woman only. Later he supported gay civil unions instead of marriage.

Barack Obama is the first U.S. president to openly voice his endorsement for the same-sex marriage which is a contentious issue in the polarized U.S.A. There are Americans who demand gay marriage, whereas there are others who vehemently oppose this type of marriage because, to them, a valid marriage is only between a male and a female.

“I’ve just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Mr. Obama said.

It is interesting to note, as if a part of a choreographed play, U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, in order to test the waters ahead of the President, in an interview with the NBC on May 6, said he was “completely comfortable” with the same-sex marriage. He also mentioned that they should get “the same exact rights” heterosexual married couples receive. Vice-President Joe Biden is a Roman Catholic politician and he went against his Church’s teaching on marriage between a man and woman only and gave his support to the homosexual marriage.

Next day, on May 7, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan expressed his support for the gay marriage, too.

These endorsements from the President, Vice-President and Education Secretary are their personal opinions only, gay marriage does not become official in the U.S.A. The laws on marriage are determined by individual states. So far about a half dozen states made laws allowing gay marriage, whereas 31 states already passed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The above notable endorsements will no doubt energize the gay marriage movement in the U.S.A. and abroad.

Reactions to the President’s announcement were immediate. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican Party nominee for president, expressed his opposition to the same-sex marriage or same-sex unions.

Roman Catholic bishops rejected Mr. Obama’s declaration. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said on May 9: “President Obama’s words today are not surprising since they follow upon various actions already taken by his administration that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage. We cannot be silent in the face of words and actions that would undermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. The people of this country, especially our children, deserve better.”

Gay marriage is officially legal country-wide in the following countries: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa and Sweden. Of these, Roman-Catholic majority countries are Argentina, Belgium, Portugal and Spain.

Gay marriage or gay civil unions are partially legal in some states (provinces) of Brazil, Mexico and U.S.A.

The gay rights movement is gaining ground in many countries of the world. Canada is as example for having full same-sex marriage rights. Every summer, it has the largest gay parade in the world. With the full recognition of the gays in Canada, the definition of a family has completely changed.

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 9

_

This gay person, participating in the 2011 Gay
Pride Parade in Toronto, has a sleeveless T-shirt with
the homosexual term "fag" (homosexual) emblazoned on it

Photo (Toronto: July 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

Percentage of Homosexual Population

Opinions differ on exactly what percentage of population in a certain country is gay (homosexual), but the following will give you an idea that a small number of people is gay in comparison to heterosexual persons.

• Demographs of Sexual Orientation
• Gay Population Statistics
• Gay Pride ... by the Numbers
• What Percentage of the Population Is Gay? (Gallup Poll)
• How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?
• What percentage of the U.S. population is gay?
• Six per cent of population are gay or lesbian, according to Whitehall figures
• Ten Percent of the Population?
• Gay people count, so why not count them correctly?

Homosexual Terms

As any subject in this world has its own special terms or jargons, so does the subject of homosexuality. There are certain jargons that are used by the homosexual community alone, others outside this community will have no clue to their meanings. Many of these terms are too vulgar or crude to mention in the public.

Now let's have a little peek at some of the homosexual terms.

• Terminology of Homosexuality
• Common Terms in the Homosexual and Transgendered Community
• Definition of Terms Associated with Homosexuality
• Homosexual Terms in the 18th Century Dictionaries
• Homosexuality and Bisexuality: Suggested Usage of Homosexual Terms in Articles, Essays, Reports, etc.
• APA Style.org: Removing Bias in Language (on Sexuality)

(The End)

(To go to the First Page of this write-up, please click  here)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 8

(L-R): Joseph Teresi, the New York State Supreme Court Justice,
performs the same-sex marriage of two gay men --
Jon Zehnder and Brian Banks -- on July 24, 2011
at the City Hall of Albany, New York State, USA

(Photo courtesy: AP Images)

(L-R): Mimi Brown and Carol Anastasio -- two
lesbians -- exchange their marriage vows
at Old Homestead Steakhouse
in New York City, USA, on July 24, 2011

Photo courtesy: Getty Images

The Same-Sex (Homosexual) Marriage:

• Same-Sex Marriage
• Gay Marriage
• Same-Sex Union Throughout Time: A History of Gay Marriage
• Gay Rights and Gay Marriage (Chronology of Events)
• Status of Same-Sex Marraige (in different countries)
• Same-Sex Marriage (in different countries)
• Which Countries Have Legalized Gay Marriage?
• Same-Sex Marriage in the United States
• Gay Marriage Legal in Six States (of the USA)
• Same-Sex Marriage in Canada
• Same-Sex Marriage in Canada
• Same-Sex Marriage in Australia: A Matter of Family and Religion
• No Drama Over First 'Legal' Same-Sex Marriage (in India)
• The Global View of Gay Marriage
• Gay Marriage (in the light of the Roman Catholic Church's teachings)
• Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons
• Homosexuality, Gay Marriage and the Catholic Church
• Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions (U.S. Catholic Bishops)
• Human Sexuality, Marriage and Same-Sex Unions (Statements of the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania, USA)
• Marriage and Same-Sex Unions (from the perspective of the Catholic Church's teachings on marriage and homosexuality)
• Compatible not competing -- pastoral practice and civil partnerships (Roman Catholic view)
• U.S. Catholic Writer Warns 'Gay marriage is the lie that will create the next Gulag'
• Documentary Shows Harms of Same-Sex Marriage
• The Case Against "Same-Sex Marriage"
• French Parliament Rejects Same-Sex Marriage Bill
• Debate: Gay Marriage
• Why does the [Catholic] Church say that "same-sex marriage" is impossible?
• On the Impossibility of Same-Sex Marriage
• A Catholic Defense of Same-Sex. Marriage

(Continued)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 7

2011 Gay Pride Parade in Toronto, Canada

Photo (July 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

::Religions and Homosexuality -- 6::

11. Taoism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Taoism
• LGBT Topics and Taoism
• Homosexuality and Taoism
• Homosexuality and Taoism
• Homosexuality (and Taoism)
• Homosexuality As Seen Through the Tao

12. Daoism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Daoism
• Yang and Yang: Homosexuality and the Dao

13. Shintoism and Homosexuality:

• Gay and Lesbians in Shinto
• LGBT Topics in Shinto
• Homosexuality in Japan
• The Greenwood Encyclopedia of LGBT Issues Worldwide (Vol. I): Shintoism
• Homosexuality in Japan
• Shintoism and Homosexuality

(Continued)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 6

Gay Chinese men and women participate
in the 2011 Gay Pride Parade in Toronto

Photo (Toronto: July 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

::Religions and Homosexuality -- 5::

8. Zoroastrianism and Homosexuality:

• LGBT Topics and Zoroastrianism
• Homosexuality in Zoroastrianism
• The Zoroastrian Faith and Homosexuality
• Homosexuality and Zoroastrianism
• Zoroastrianism and Homosexuality
• Religion and Homosexuality: Zoroastrianism
• A Comparison of Morality from the Religions From Around the World

9. Baha'ism and Homosexuality:

• Religion and Homosexuality: Baha'i Faith
• Homosexuality and Baha'i Faith
• A Comparison of Morality from the Religions from Around the World
• Homosexuality and Religion: An Encyclopedia (a book by Jeffrey S. Siker) (Portions of the book is available for reading online) (See page 63 of this book)
• The Baha'i Faith: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Issues
• The Baha'i Position on Same-Sex Behaviour
• The Baha'i Faith and Homosexuality
• Homosexuality in Baha'i Sacred Texts

10. Confucianism and Homosexuality:

• Religion and Homosexuality: Confucianism
• Homosexuality
• A Comparison of Morality from the Religions from Around the World
• Confucianism: Gender and Sexuality
• Chinese Mythology (and Homosexuality)
• LGBT Themes in Chinese Mythology
• Homosexuals in China
• Confucian Civil Unions, Perhaps?
• China: Homoerotic, Homosexual and Ambisexual Behaviour
• Tongzhi Today, Tomorrow: Homosexuality in Modern China & the Emerging Gay Identity

(Continued)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 5

Gay Ismaili Muslims (a branch of the Shia Muslims who follow
the Aga Khan as their imam) at the 2011 Gay Pride Parade in Toronto

Ismaili gay men and women at the same Gay Pride Parade in Toronto

All Photos (Toronto: July 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

::Religions and Homosexuality -- 4::

5. Islam and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Islam
• LGBT Topics and Islam
• Religion and Homosexuality (Islam)
• Islam and Homosexuality: All Viewpoints
• Homosexuality
• What is Islam's view of homosexuality?
• Islam and Homosexuality
• Anthropology, Islam and Homosexuality
• Islam and Homosexuality
• Why does Islam forbid lesbianism and homosexuality?
• Islam's position on homosexuality
• Islam and Homosexuality
• Islam 'recognizes homosexuality'
• A Comparison of Morality from the Religions from Around the World
• Religious Views on Homosexuality: Comparison Chart

6. Jainism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Jainism
• Jainism and Homosexuality (in the book Sex from Plato to Paglia: A Philosophical Encyclopedia, Vol I)
• Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions
• Homosexuality (and Jainism)
• A Comparison of Morality from the Religions from Around the World

7. Sikhism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Sikhism
• LGBT Topics and Sikhism
• Sikhism and Homosexuality
• Homosexuality and Sikhism
• Religion and Homosexuality (Sikhism)
• Homosexuality (and Sikhism)
• A Comparison of Morality from the Religions from Around the World
• Religious Views on Homosexuality: Comparison Chart

(Continued)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 4

Gay Tamil Hindus participating in the
2011 Gay Pride Parade of Toronto, Canada

Photo (Toronto: July 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

::Religions and Homosexuality -- 3::

4. Hinduism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Hinduism
• LGBT Topics and Hinduism
• Homosexuality and Hinduism
• Homosexuality and Hinduism
• Homosexuality and Hinduism
• Homosexuality in India
• Guyana's Hindus Face Gay Quandry
• Point-Counterpoint: Homosexuality in Hinduism
• 'Hinduism does not condemn homosexuality'

5. Buddhism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Buddhism
• LGBT Topics and Buddhism
• Buddhism and Homosexuality
• Homosexuality in the Japanese Buddhist Tradition
• Homosexuality in the Theravada Buddhism
• Buddhism and Homosexuality (Beliefs About Homosexuality Among the Buddhist Traditions)
• Lesbian, Bay, Bisexual & Transgenderism in the Buddhist World
• Male Homosexuality and Transfenderism in the Thai Buddhist Tradition
• According to Buddhist Tradition: Gays, Lesbians, and Sexual Misconduct
• Gay Marriage for Buddhists?

(Continued)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 3

Gay Catholic teachers and students participate
in the Gay Pride Parade in Toronto, Canada, on July 3, 2011

Gay Catholics voicing their demands in the same parade

More gay Catholic teachers and students in the parade

Gay Catholic School teachers and students demand
"Catholic Schools Need GSAs [Gay-Straight Alliances]"

Above photos (Toronto: July 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

::Religions and Homosexuality -- 2::

3. Roman Catholicism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Roman Catholicism
• Christian Anthropology and Homosexuality Series
• What the Church Teaches About Homosexuality
• The Roman Catholic Church and Homosexuality
• Passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church Related to Homosexuality
• The Catholic Church on Homosexuality
• Catholic Church on Homosexuality
• Homosexuality (and the Catholic Church)
• What the Catholic Church Teaches About Homosexuality
• Homosexuality (Church Fathers on Homosexuality)
• Out of the Closet and Into Chastity
• Official Documents from the Vatican and Bishops Concerning Homosexuals
• Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons (from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican)
• Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers
• Canadian Bishops: A Person is More Than a Sexual Orientation (Pastoral Letter Addresses Same-Sex Attraction in Youth)
• Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons (from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican)
• Vatican Opposes Discrimination Against Homosexuals
• U.S. Bishops Urge Constitutional Amendment to Protect Marriage
• U.S. Bishops' Statement on the Marriage Between Man and Woman (and Same-Sex Marriage)
• Gay Marriage (in the light of the Catholic Church's teachings)
• Same-Sex Marriage Approval [in New York State] Undermines Families, New York Bishops Say
• U.S. Bishops Criticize Obama Adminstration's Decision on Marriage Law
• State Department Action on 'LGBT Rights' Could Split Catholic Countries
• 
  

(Continued)

Homosexuality: Another Dimension of Human Sexual Behaviour -- 2

Big companies, like TD Bank, sponsor the annual Gay Pride
Week celebrations in Toronto. This TD Bank poster
here was seen in an underground TTC train station.

Photo (Toronto: June 22, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

::Religions and Homosexuality -- 1::

1. Judaism and Homosexuality:

• Homosexuality and Conservative Judaism
• Homosexuality in Orthodox Judaism
• Judaism and Homosexuality
• Homosexuality and Judaism
• Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism Rejected Homosexuality
• Lesbian and Gay Topics and Judaism
• Judaism & Homosexuality: A Marriage Made in Hell
• Homosexuality and Judaism (Judaism, Nature and Homosexuality)
• Homosexuality & the Hebrew Bible
• Torah View on Homosexuality
• Homosexuality and Halakhah
• Homosexuality in the Old Testament
• Homosexuality and the Old Testament
• The Old Testament and Homosexuality

2. Christianity and Homosexuality:

• Christianity and Homosexuality
• Homosexuality and Christianity
• The Bible and Homosexuality
• The Bible and Homosexuality
• Homosexual Relationships and the Bible
• Homosexuality in the Bible
• Homosexuality (Sodomy)
• Homosexuality and Roman Catholicism
• Catholic Church on Homosexuality
• Christian Denominations: Views on Homosexuality
• List of Christian Denominational Churches' Position on Homosexuality
• Protestant Churches Shifting Toward Affirming Homosexuality

(Continued)