The Pope says that "homosexual acts" are a sin as is any sexual relationship "outside of marriage"

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The

underlined that, for the morality of

, homosexual acts are a sin "as is every sexual act outside of marriage", although he pointed out that it is necessary to take into account the circumstances that "reduce or annul the guilt" because there is sin but there is also "freedom" and "intention".

This has been assured by

in a letter sent to the priest James Martin, an American Jesuit who develops his apostolate among LGTBI people.

In the letter, which has been published on Father Martin's website "Outreach.faith", Francis has clarified his position in which he refers to "homosexual acts" as a sin and

.

In the same way, he has indicated that "circumstances must also be considered, which reduce or annul guilt."

"We know well that Catholic morality, in addition to matter, values ​​freedom, intention; and this, for all kinds of sin", he said.

With this answer, Francisco

, already repeated since the first interview with journalists on the return flight from Brazil in 2013 ("If a person is gay and seeks the Lord and has good will, but who am I to judge her?") is that of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

In the same way, he has ensured that homosexuality

because "all criminalization is not good or fair."

At this moment there are more than 50 countries that contemplate legal penalties for homosexuals and in some of them even the death penalty.

The Episcopal Conference affirmed that homosexuality is neither a sin nor a crime

The general secretary of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), César García Magán, had affirmed this Thursday that

"is neither a crime nor a sin", in response to the words of Pope Francis.

During his speech at an informative breakfast and asked about these words of the pontiff, García Magán has defended that these statements

of the Catholic Church that speaks of a person's sexual tendency on the one hand, and on the other of "exercise" or "realization" of that sexuality, which not only affects homosexual people, but also heterosexuals.

"We are all governed by certain rules," said the general secretary of the EEC.

"From the point of view of Catholic morality there are also aspects in a heterosexual relationship that may not be in accordance with Catholic morality," he stressed.

The General Secretary of the EEC participated this Thursday in an informative breakfast in which he advanced that the report of the law firm that investigates the abuse of minors in the field of the Catholic Church will be ready in the spring.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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