The pope and Cardinal McElroy both made statements this week on L.G.B.T. issues, which have until recently not been discussed by church officials.

Pope Francis spoke out against the criminalization of homosexuality, critiqued the use of guns by civilians and admitted to his own mishandling of the sexual abuse crisis in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press.

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.

We must examine the contradictions in a church of inclusion and shared belonging that have been identified by the voices of the people of God in our nation and discern in synodality a pathway for moving beyond them.

New guidance and policies on ministering to people experiencing gender dysphoria released Jan. 16 by the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, call for compassion and coherence with the church’s teaching on gender and identity.

The Respect for Marriage Act upholds a principle that most Americans can agree on: We are not going back to the 1950s.