(Photo by Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, via Flickr)
Flying back to Rome from a lengthy trip to Asia Sept. 13, Pope Francis criticized both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration. He advised American Catholics to choose who they think is the “lesser evil” in the upcoming U.S. elections.
“Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,” Francis said. Neither Republican candidate Donald Trump nor the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, was mentioned by name.
It was the latest in a long string of memorable — and sometimes controversial — comments from the pope, who throughout his 11-year papacy has often been willing to speak out in impromptu fashion.
Several of the most noteworthy comments related to LGBTQ+ issues — a matter of keen public interest given official Catholic teaching that condemns same-sex marriage and sexual relations. Some examples:
— July 30, 2013. During his first press conference, says “Who am I to judge?” when asked about a purportedly gay priest, signaling a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ+ Catholics.
— May 21, 2018: Tells a gay man “God made you like this and he loves you.”
— Jan. 24, 2023: Declares in an Associated Press interview that “Being homosexual is not a crime.”
— Jan. 28, 2023: Clarifies his comments to AP which implied that while homosexual activity was not a crime it is a sin in the eyes of the church. “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.”
— Aug. 24, 2023: During World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, the pope led a crowd of a half-million young people chanting “todos, todos, todos” (everyone, everyone, everyone) to emphasize that all are welcome in the Catholic Church.
— May 20, 2024: Francis reportedly says “there is already an air of faggotness” in seminaries, in closed-door comments to Italian bishops in reaffirming the church’s ban on gay priests. He later apologized for causing offense.
Among other notable quotes:
— Jan. 19, 2015: Francis, while firmly upholding church teaching banning contraception, said Catholics don’t have to breed “like rabbits” and should instead practice “responsible parenting.”
— February 2015: The pope referred to the possible “Mexicanization” of his native Argentina from drug trafficking. It created a stir, prompting the Vatican to send a diplomatic note to Mexico’s ambassador insisting that Francis “absolutely did not intend to offend the Mexican people” with the remark.
— Feb. 18, 2016: Flying back to Rome from a pilgrimage that included Mass at the Mexican side of the border with the U.S., Pope Francis, answering a reporter’s question, said a person who advocates building walls is “not Christian.” A spokesperson later insisted the pope was not singling out Donald Trump.
— May 25, 2019: Addressing a Vatican-sponsored conference, the pope said abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or likely to die. “Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?” he asked. “Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?”
— July 26, 2022: The pope issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church’s cooperation with Canada’s “catastrophic” policy of Indigenous residential schools. “I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples,” he said.
— May 12, 2023: Blasting couples who have pets instead of children, Francis called for resources to be dedicated to helping couples grow their families, saying it was necessary to “plant the future” with hope.
— February 2024: The pope said in an interview that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should have the courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia. “I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” he said.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis picked up the “white flag” term that had been used by the interviewer. He issued a statement of clarification after the pope’s “white flag” comments sparked criticism that he was siding with Russia in the conflict.
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