Pope says LGBT+ are welcome in Church

 (Photo: Vatican News)

Pope Francis has given his views on LGBT+ relationships and a number of other hot button issues in an interview for a new Disney+ documentary. 

The 86-year-old was interviewed by 10 young people for 'The Pope: Answers' documentary.

They asked him his views on a range of issues that matter to them. 

These included asking him if he knew what a non-binary person was, which he said he did. 

When he was asked about LGBT+ people, he said they were welcome in the Church.

"All persons are the children of God, all persons. God does not reject anybody, God is a father. And I have no right to expel anyone from the Church," he said.

On abortion, the Pope suggested a "merciful" approach but stressed that this did not equate to approval. 

"It good to call things by their name. It is one thing to accompany the person who had one, quite another to justify the act," he said.

Asked about sexual matters, the Pope said that sex was a beautiful gift from God but that masturbation deviated from this. 

"Sex is one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person," he said. 

"To express yourself sexually is a richness. So anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness."

He thanked the young people for their questions, saying, "I learned a lot from you, it has done me a lot of good."

News
Rwanda’s president on the defensive over church closures
Rwanda’s president on the defensive over church closures

Rwandan President Paul Kagame defended the government's forced closure of Evangelical churches, accusing them of being a “den of bandits” led by deceptive relics of colonialism. 

We are the story still being written
We are the story still being written

The story of Christ continues in the lives of those who take up His calling.

Christians harassed, attacked all over India at Christmas
Christians harassed, attacked all over India at Christmas

International Christian Concern reported more than 80 incidents in India, some of them violent, over Christmas.

Christian killings in Nigeria could double in 2026 if extremist threat is not dealt with - report
Christian killings in Nigeria could double in 2026 if extremist threat is not dealt with - report

Already more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than all other countries combined.