LGBTQ+ Catholics ‘heartbroken’ over death of Pope Francis

LGBTQ+ Catholics around the world are mourning the loss of Pope Francis, who has died age 88.

The Vatican announced on Monday (21 April) that Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, had died aged 88 at 7.35am local time.

“He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement announcing the Pontiff’s passing.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”

Pope Francis, who became Pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned, had a complex and sometimes contradictory record on LGBTQ+ rights.

In 2013, he famously said “who am I to judge?” when it came to gay people but also using the faced criticism in 2024 for allegedly using the term “frociaggine” – an f-pejorative in the Italian language, which roughly translates to the derogatory term, “f****t”.

Joe Stanley, chair of the LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council, said in a statement shared with PinkNews following the Pope’s death: “It is with deep mourning that the LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Community learns of the death of Pope Francis, tempered by the certainty that he will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven with open arms, and a profound respect for his stewardship of the Body of Christ as Servant of the Servants of God.

Stanley said Pope Francis’ papacy “had a profound impact on the Church” and in particular “his drive towards a Synodal Church, his focus on the Environment in Laudato Si, his emphasis on the Preferential Option for the Poor, his elevation of women to senior positions in the Roman Dicasteries, his commitment to the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, his opposition to the misinterpretation of Christian teaching on the reception and treatment of migrants and refugees, his response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and his openness to other Christian traditions and to other religions”.

Stanley added: “As LGBT+ Catholics, we particularly remember his remark made while returning from Brazil in July 2013: – ‘If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?’.

“The humility, compassion and respect shown in this statement did not, of course, change Catholic teaching on the subject, but marked an important change in tone from that of his predecessors, and we drew great encouragement from it in our mission to take our place in the Body of Christ.

“We also drew great encouragement from His Holiness’s warm welcome to us during several Audiences with him at the Vatican, as well as from, for example, his ongoing relationship with the Trans community in Rome.

“We give thanks to Almighty God for the life, hope and faith of Pope Francis, and above all for the gentle, humble love for all which he brought to his role, and we pray for the Fathers of the Conclave who are charged with finding a successor to this wonderful man.

On social media, the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics said the world is “a sad and very lonely place without the all encompassing presence of the universally loved Pope Francis”.

“Catholics and people of all faiths, and no faith have felt the power of his love and compassion for humankind as well as for the planet that we inhabit,” the group wrote in a statement.

“What a bold and forward thinking man who served his faithful with such energy and gentleness. What enduring commitment to justice and peace for the marginalised and oppressed around the world. And how we marvelled at hearing him castigate the Trump Administration for the chilling Executive Orders against migrants, women’s rights, the LGBT+ community and the Trans community.”

They continued: “GNRC was truly blessed to have the unique opportunity to meet with Pope Francis in October 2023. And how much His Holiness empowered us by his message of encouragement when he told as to carry on with our pastoral work for our LGBT+ communities.”

The GNRC ended the statement with a prayer.

Quest, another LGBTQ+ Catholic group, wrote on their official social media accounts that the organisation was “truly heartbroken”.

“His pontificate has been a blessing to the world and the LGBT community especially,” they said.