Pope Francis clarifies his comments on homosexuality and sin

In a letter to Jesuit Father James Martin, who reached out to the Pope for clarification, Francis said “When I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual act outside of marriage is a sin.”

The pope further added that he meant to say that the criminalisation of homosexuality was “neither good nor just.”

“As you can see, I was repeating something in general. I should have said ‘It is a sin, as is any sexual act outside of marriage.’ This is to speak of ‘the matter’ of sin, but we know well that Catholic morality not only takes into consideration the matter but also evaluates freedom and intention; and this, for every kind of sin.”

During an interview with AP on Tuesday, Francis had noted that being homosexual isn't a crime.

“Being homosexual is not a crime. It’s not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime,” he told AP.

He termed laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust” and that the Church must work to put an end to them.