Rachel Evans
The Catholic Church's stance on LGBTQ+ issues has been a contentious topic, with the Church officially denying its blessing for same-sex marriage and condemning sexual relations between gay partners as intrinsically disordered. However, Pope Francis has made strides towards inclusivity, voicing support for same-sex civil unions and approving blessings for same-sex couples. While the actual experiences of LGBTQ+ Catholics vary across dioceses, many communities strive to welcome them within the constraints of Church policy. Catholics' views on gay marriage differ globally, with Western European countries showing more support than Central and Eastern European ones. In the US, Catholics have backed same-sex marriage since 2011, with their support consistently exceeding the national average.
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What You'll Learn
Catholics' views vary by country
Catholics' views on gay marriage vary widely across the world. While the Catholic Church officially condemns same-sex sexual relations as "intrinsically disordered" and does not approve of same-sex marriage, many Catholics hold different beliefs.
In Western Europe, large majorities of Catholics support legal same-sex marriage. In the Netherlands, 92% of Catholics support gay marriage, while the United Kingdom, France, and Germany all have support above 70%. Switzerland and Italy, which only allow civil unions, have lower levels of support at 76% and 57% respectively.
In Central and Eastern European countries, most Catholics oppose same-sex marriage. Nine out of ten Catholics in Ukraine are against it, as are 66% of Catholics in Hungary and 62% in Poland.
In the United States, Catholics' support for gay marriage has consistently exceeded the national average by five or more percentage points since the 2000s. A 2012 Pew Research Center poll found that 52% of Catholics in the US support gay marriage, compared to 37% who oppose it. Catholics constitute more than a fifth of US adults, and their support for same-sex marriage has been crucial in its legalisation across the country.
In other countries, Catholic bishops have often opposed the legalisation of same-sex marriage. In Belgium, all Roman Catholic bishops allowed blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in 2022. In contrast, the Archbishop of Hobart in Australia distributed an anti-gay marriage booklet to families in 2015, and several Australian bishops supported the "no" vote in the referendum on gay marriage. In Uruguay, the Bishop of Salto opposed the introduction of same-sex marriage, and in Austria, the president of the bishop's conference denounced the legalisation of gay marriage in 2017.
While Pope Francis has made some efforts to make the Catholic Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people, such as supporting same-sex civil unions and blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples, the Church's official stance has not changed.
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Pope Francis' support for same-sex civil unions
Pope Francis has expressed support for same-sex civil unions, stating that gay people are "children of God" and should be allowed to form families. This marks a significant shift in the Vatican's stance on LGBTQ+ issues, with Pope Francis advocating for legal protections and inclusivity. This support for civil unions dates back to his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, where he proposed civil unions as an alternative to same-sex marriage.
In the documentary "Francesco," Pope Francis endorsed civil unions for same-sex couples, stating:
> "Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it. What we have to have is a civil union law—that way they are legally covered. I supported that."
This endorsement sent a powerful message to LGBTQ+ Catholics and aligned with Pope Francis's generally more tolerant and inclusive tone. It also served to condemn violence against LGBTQ+ individuals, making it clear that such actions cannot be committed in the Church's name.
While Pope Francis supports civil unions, he has made it clear that he does not believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry in the Catholic Church. He has warned against threats to the institution of marriage, describing marriage as "between a man and a woman." However, his support for civil unions suggests that Catholics could perhaps be civilly married without facing negative repercussions from the Church.
The Pope's stance on civil unions is particularly significant given the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in many countries, especially in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. The Church has been involved in legislation in several countries, and the Pope's support for civil unions could potentially influence LGBTQ+ rights in nations where gay rights are less accepted and discrimination is legal.
While Pope Francis's comments do not reflect official Church teaching, they have been seen as a positive step towards greater inclusivity and acceptance within the Catholic Church.
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Catholics' views on homosexuality
The Catholic Church's official stance on homosexuality is that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered", and gay people are called to practice "chastity". However, the Church also teaches that gay men and women should be treated with ""respect, compassion and sensitivity".
In the past, the Church has actively opposed same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. For example, in 2012, the Church spent nearly $2 million on unsuccessful campaigns against gay marriage in four US states. In 2013, Catholic bishops publicly thanked members of parliament in Poland for voting down a bill that would have allowed same-sex civil partnerships. In 2015, the Archbishop of Hobart, Julian Porteous, distributed a booklet to 12,000 families with children in Catholic schools across Tasmania, entitled "Don't Mess With Marriage", describing relationships between gay couples as "pretended marriage". In 2016 and 2017, several Australian bishops publicly supported the "no" vote in the referendum on gay marriage. In 2017, the president of the Austrian bishop's conference, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, denounced the legalisation of gay marriage in Austria, arguing that marriage is intended for "producing, nurturing and raising children".
However, in recent years, the Catholic Church has taken steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. Pope Francis, in particular, has been instrumental in shifting the Church's stance. In 2020, he made headlines by voicing his support for same-sex civil unions, stating, "Who am I to judge?". In 2021, he publicly stated his support for same-sex unions, marking a significant step forward for the Church. In 2023, he formally approved blessings for same-sex couples, stipulating that people seeking God's love shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it. While reaffirming that marriage is between a man and a woman, he suggested that blessings for same-sex couples could be offered under certain circumstances.
Despite these shifts, the experience of LGBTQ+ Catholics can vary widely across dioceses and parishes. While some Catholic communities strive to offer a full welcome to LGBTQ+ members, others deny membership to LGBTQ+ individuals and have dismissed employees for celebrating same-sex marriages.
In terms of Catholic laity, views on homosexuality vary. In Western Europe, large majorities of Catholics expressed support for legal same-sex marriage in 2017, with the Netherlands (92%), the United Kingdom (78%), France (74%), and Germany (70%) showing high levels of support. In Switzerland and Italy, where civil unions but not marriage are allowed for gay couples, 76% and 57% of Catholics, respectively, supported gay marriage in 2017. In contrast, in Central and Eastern European countries, most Catholics oppose same-sex marriage. Nine-in-ten Catholics in Ukraine, 66% in Hungary, and 62% in Poland held this view. A 2019 global survey found that, in some countries, Catholics are more accepting of homosexuality than non-Catholics, including in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and the Philippines. However, in Poland, Catholics are less likely to support the acceptance of homosexuality than non-Catholics.
In the United States, Catholics' support for gay marriage has consistently exceeded the national average since the 2000s, with 52% supporting it in 2012 and 56% in 2016-2020. Catholics who attend church less frequently or for whom religion is less important are more likely to support gay marriage.
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Catholic Church's influence on politics
The Catholic Church's official stance is that it does not approve of same-sex marriage, with the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaching that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered". The Church has spent millions of dollars on campaigns against gay marriage and has actively opposed legislation to legalise it. For example, in 2012, the Church spent nearly $2 million on unsuccessful campaigns against gay marriage in four US states. In 2013, the Archbishop of Hobart, Julian Porteous, distributed a booklet to 12,000 families with children in Catholic schools across Tasmania entitled "Don't Mess With Marriage", describing relationships between gay couples as "pretended marriage". In the same year, Catholic bishops publicly thanked members of parliament in Poland for voting down a bill that would have permitted same-sex civil partnerships. In 2015, the Archbishop of Yaounde, Victor Tonye Bakot, reflected a particularly hostile attitude by the Church in Cameroon, with interventions that prompted the national press to allege the existence of a homosexual "mafia". The Church's official policy, as stated by the Vatican, is that those with "homosexual tendencies...must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity" and that " [e]very sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided". However, a 2005 document approved by Pope Benedict XVI instructed that the Church "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'".
Despite the Church's official stance, there is a wide variation in the views of individual Catholics and Catholic communities on same-sex marriage, with many Catholic communities reaching out to LGBTQ+ members to offer as full a welcome as possible within the limits of Church policy. A 2012 Pew Research Center poll found that Catholics in the United States who support gay marriage outnumbered those who oppose it at 52 per cent to 37 per cent. A 2017 survey by the same organisation found that majorities of Catholics in several Western European countries supported same-sex marriage, including the Netherlands (92 per cent), the United Kingdom (78 per cent), France (74 per cent), and Germany (70 per cent). In Switzerland and Italy, which allow civil unions but not marriage for gay couples, 76 per cent and 57 per cent of Catholics, respectively, said they supported gay marriage. On the other hand, in almost all of the Central and Eastern European countries surveyed in 2015 and 2016, most Catholics opposed same-sex marriage, including nine-in-ten Catholics in Ukraine, 66 per cent in Hungary, and 62 per cent in Poland.
The views of Catholics also vary depending on how often they attend church, with those who attend church less often being more likely to support same-sex marriage. A Gallup poll conducted between 2016 and 2020 found that 56 per cent of Catholics who attend church weekly support gay marriage, compared with 67 per cent of those who attend church nearly weekly or monthly, and 78 per cent of those who seldom attend mass.
The position of the Catholic Church on LGBTQ+ issues has been evolving in recent years, with Pope Francis making efforts to make the Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people. In 2020, Pope Francis made headlines by voicing his support for same-sex civil unions, which was seen as a significant shift for the Vatican. In 2021, he stated that transgender people could receive baptism and serve as godfathers or godmothers under certain conditions, reversing absolute bans on transgender people serving as godparents that had been issued by the Vatican in 2015. In 2023, he formally approved blessings for same-sex couples, stipulating that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it. However, he also reaffirmed that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. While these changes have been welcomed by many, they have also faced resistance from Catholic conservatives, and the final summary of a three-week synod on the issue did not include a single mention of LGBTQ+ people.
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Catholics' views on transgender people
The Catholic Church's official teachings on gender state that a person is assigned their gender at birth, based on their observed anatomy. This means that a transgender person's gender identity is not recognised by the Church, and transgender individuals are expected to adhere to the gender roles of their biological sex. The Church teaches that:
> Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God, male or female (Gen. 1:26-27). And so we should help people discover their true identities as children of God, not support them in the disordered attempt to reject their undeniable biological identity.
The Vatican's 2014 Extraordinary Synod debated several issues related to LGBTQ+ inclusion but did not address questions regarding transgender church members, and there is currently no official policy regarding transgender individuals in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. However, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for enforcing Catholic doctrine, did not permit a transgender man in Spain to serve as a godfather in 2015, effectively barring transgender Catholics from serving as baptismal sponsors.
Transgender Catholics have expressed disappointment with the Vatican's stance, stating that it shows no understanding of their lives. In 2024, the Vatican released a document declaring gender-affirming surgery to be a "grave violation of human dignity". This has caused concern among some Catholics, who fear that it may bring harm to transgender individuals and fuel hate and oppressive laws.
Despite the official teachings and policies of the Catholic Church, the experience of transgender Catholics varies depending on their communities. Some parishes have welcomed transgender people, while others have issued guidelines forbidding the acknowledgement of gender transitions.
In terms of Catholic views on same-sex marriage, there is variation among different countries and communities. Catholics in Western Europe tend to be more accepting of homosexuality and same-sex marriage than those in Central and Eastern Europe. For example, in 2017, 92% of Catholics in the Netherlands, 78% in the United Kingdom, 74% in France, and 70% in Germany supported legal same-sex marriage. In contrast, 90% of Catholics in Ukraine, 66% in Hungary, and 62% in Poland said that same-sex marriage should be illegal.
In the United States, Catholics' support for gay marriage has consistently exceeded the national average since the 2000s, with 56% of church-going Catholics supporting same-sex marriage compared to 78% of Catholics who seldom attend mass. Pope Francis has also voiced his support for same-sex civil unions, which has been seen as a shift for the Vatican. However, the USCB has opposed laws such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, stating that it could conflict with Catholic teachings on same-sex sexual conduct.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics constitute more than a fifth of U.S. adults and have backed same-sex marriage since 2011. From 2016 to 2020, a Gallup poll found that 56% of Catholics who report attending church weekly support gay marriage, compared with 67% of Catholics who attend church nearly weekly or monthly, and 78% of Catholics who seldom attend mass.
In Western Europe, large majorities of Catholics said in 2017 that they support legal same-sex marriage. This was the case in the Netherlands (92%), the United Kingdom (78%), France (74%), and Germany (70%). In Switzerland and Italy, which allow civil unions but not marriage for gay couples, 76% and 57% of Catholics, respectively, said in 2017 that they support gay marriage. In contrast, in almost all of the Central and Eastern European countries surveyed in 2015 and 2016, most Catholics oppose same-sex marriage.
The Catholic Church, in its doctrine, still rejects same-sex marriage and condemns any sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners as “intrinsically disordered”. However, Pope Francis has made the Catholic Church a more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people, and in 2023 he formally approved blessings for same-sex couples.
The actual experience of LGBTQ+ parishioners can vary widely across dioceses and parishes. While some Catholic communities reach out to LGBTQ+ members to offer as full a welcome as possible, other parishes have denied membership to LGBTQ+ individuals and families. There have also been instances of LGBTQ+ employees in the United States being dismissed from Catholic schools and parishes following the celebration of a same-sex couple’s marriage.
In a 2019 global survey, Catholics within many countries were found to be as accepting as their non-Catholic compatriots of homosexuality. However, this varied by country. For example, in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and the Philippines, Catholics are more likely than non-Catholics to say that homosexuality should be accepted by society, while in Poland, Catholics are less likely to hold this view.
