Pope Francis condemned laws that outlaw homosexuality as "unjust" and urged Catholic bishops to welcome members of the LGBTQ community into the congregation.

The pontiff said in an interview on Tuesday that being homosexual is not a crime.

Pope Francis noted that certain Catholic bishops in other areas of the globe support legislation that criminalizes homosexuality or targets the LGBTQ population with prejudice, and he referred to the matter as a "sin," as per AP News.

However, he did attribute such prejudices to cultural origins and stated that bishops, in particular, needed reform to respect everyone's rights.

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The Human Dignity Trust, which campaigns to remove such laws, estimates that 67 nations or jurisdictions worldwide outlaw consenting same-sex sexual practices and that 11 of them may or may not execute the death sentence.

Experts believe the laws lead to harassment, shame, and assault on the LGBTQ community even when they are not implemented.

Pope Francis' Advice to LGBTQ Catholics

Pope Francis recommended LGBTQ Catholics study the book of Acts of the Apostles in an interview that the Vatican News released.

The pope said, "There they will find the image of the living Church."

Last year, Francis urged parents not to reject their homosexual children, and a Jesuit priest who serves LGBTQ Catholics revealed a letter from the pope complimenting his work dated June 2021, Axios reported.

However, a rule from the Vatican and Pope Francis from March 2021 stated that Catholic priests couldn't bless these kinds of marriages. The edict states that God "does not and cannot bless sin."

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