On
Wednesday, a documentary called The Pope Answers was released on Disney+
featuring a meeting
between Pope Francis and 10 young people in their early
20s. During the meeting in Rome last year, the group asked the pontiff about a
range of issues, including LGBT rights, abortion, the porn industry, sex,
faith, and sex abuse within the Catholic Church.
Pope
Francis responded to questions about sex, saying that it is “one of the
beautiful things that God has given to the human person”. He emphasized
that “to express yourself sexually is a richness”, and anything that
detracts from real sexual expression lessens a person and depletes this
richness. He also addressed the topic of masturbation, saying that it detracts
from real sexual expression.
When
asked whether he knew what a “non-binary person” was, Francis replied
affirmatively and stated that LGBT people must be welcomed by the Catholic
Church because all persons are children of God. He emphasized that God does not
reject anybody and that he has no right to expel anyone from the church.
Regarding
abortion, Pope Francis said that priests should be “merciful” towards
women who have had an abortion, but the practice itself remains unacceptable.
He emphasized that it is good to call things by their name and that it is one
thing to accompany someone who has had an abortion, but it is quite another to
justify the act.
L’Osservatore
Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, published the pope’s remarks and
described his conversation with the young people as an “open and sincere
dialogue.”
