Pope Francis: "Sex is a beautiful gift from God"

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."