A strong symbolism.

Pope Francis wrote a letter to American Jesuit Father James Martin, an activist for welcoming homosexuals into the Church.

"I want to thank you for your pastoral zeal and your talent for being close to people, with the closeness that Jesus had and which reflects the closeness to God", we can read in this letter written by hand in Spanish by the sovereign pontiff and disclosed Monday on Twitter by Father Martin.

The Pope insists on the fact that God “loves each of his children” and that “his style has three elements: closeness, compassion and tenderness”.

Hatred by some traditionalist Catholics, Father Martin has just organized an Internet conference on the theme of support for LGBT +, an event referred to by the Pope in his word.

“You are a priest for all men and women, just as God is a father for all men and women.

I pray that you will continue in this way, being close, full of compassion and great tenderness, ”insists the Pope.

The Vatican in the midst of controversy

At the start of his pontificate, Francis had used a formula that hit the mark: "if a person is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge him?" ". He often received gay people and reminded them that they must be the object of a benevolent reception within the Church. The Pope is, however, in line with the tradition of the Church on marriage: the union between a man and a woman in order to procreate. He has also repeatedly criticized “gender theory”, an “ideological project” that “denies the natural difference between a man and a woman”.

The pope's message to the American Jesuit comes at the right time, as the Vatican's position on homosexuals has provoked an outcry. In mid-March, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the ex-Inquisition guardian of the faith at the Vatican) had published a note in which it reaffirmed to consider homosexuality as "a sin" and confirmed the impossibility for couples homosexuals to receive the sacrament of marriage.

Last week, the Vatican also criticized the content of an Italian bill on the fight against homophobia and discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation, which has not yet been adopted, pointing to the risk of potentially making “illegal” “ any distinction between men and women ”.

Italian head of government Mario Draghi retorted that Italy was a secular state and its parliament was sovereign.

This bill does not exempt Italian Catholic schools from an obligation to participate in activities for the national day against homophobia, which will be set for May 17.

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