What Have the New Catholic Cardinals Said About LGBT People?
A few of the pontiff's picks have made comments on LGBT issues in the past.
BY Stevie St. John
February 02 2015 7:00 AM ET
Pope Francis, who has made headlines for his “Who am I to judge?” comment regarding gay people as well as his less conciliatory remarks about nontraditional families, tapped 20 new cardinals this month — and some of them have definite track records on LGBT issues.
Fifteen of the new cardinals are eligible to cast votes when it is time to choose Francis’s successor, Time notes. The other five are “honorary cardinals” whose age (over 80) disqualifies them from voting in a papal election.
The Advocate scoured the Web to see what the new cardinals have said about LGBT people and issues. For most, there were no relevant comments available. But a few have gone on the record with their perspectives. Here’s what we found:
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti
On LGBT issues: “Regarding morally controversial subjects, such as abortion or homosexuality, freedom of consciences must be respected, … Every person, no matter what his beliefs, has, by means of his conscience, the natural capacity to distinguish good from evil and that he should act accordingly. Therein lies the true freedom.” (The remarks were related to the expression of religious beliefs in the workplace.) Mamberti is prefect of the supreme tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Catholic Church's highest court.
http://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2015/02/02/what-have-new-catholic-cardinals-said-about-lgbt-people
