Sin

Pope Francis reaffirmed that homosexuality is not a crime, and that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin, in a written response to a request for clarification about his remarks during a recent interview with the Associated Press.

Here is a collection of notable quotes from Pope Benedict XVI from homilies, documents, messages and speeches from 2005 to 2013, the years he served as pope.

“Even several times in a single day, I find myself caught up in something trivial, something that took my heart elsewhere, instead of resting in God’s love. This holds especially true during Lent, as I realign my heart and my gaze on Jesus.”

“There is no such thing as a truly private act, for good or bad. Everything we do, no matter how private, affects others.”

Any time an affront to human dignity occurs, whether in the Catholic Church or across broader society, Gloria Purvis explained, people of faith are called to confront it.

At the start of Lent, a Benedictine monk, pastor, and parish director of religious education weigh in on the question.

Part of Jesus’ mission, as our liturgy puts it, was “to become sin for us”, to risk having his innocence mixed in with guilt and be perceived as sin so as to help carry darkness and sin for others.

Spending close to four hours at the parish March 12, Pope Francis answered questions from the children, met with the older and sick members of the parish, spent time with parents whose babies have been baptized in the past year and with the Canossian Sisters, whose founder is honored as the parish’s patron saint.