Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • A11

AZCENTRAL.COM SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023 11A ROME Pope Francis has his recent comments about homosex- uality and sin, saying he was merely referring to Catholic moral teaching that teaches that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin. And in a note Friday, Francis re- called that even that black-and-white teaching is subject to circumstances that might eliminate the sin altogeth- er. Francis made the comments in an interview Tuesday with The Asso- ciated Press, in which he declared that laws criminalizing homosexuality were and that homo- sexual is not a As he often does, Francis then imagined a conversation with some- one who raised the matter of the teaching, which states that homosexual acts are sinful, or trinsically but distinguish be- tween a sin and a Francis said in the pretend conversation. also a sin to lack charity with one His comments calling for the de- criminalization of homosexuality were hailed by LGBTQ advocates as a mile- stone that would help end harassment and violence against LGBTQ persons. But his reference to raised ques- tions about whether he believed that merely being gay was itself a sin.

The Rev. James Martin, an Ameri- can Jesuit who runs the U.S.-based Outreach ministry for LGBTQ Catho- lics, asked Francis for and printed the handwritten re- sponse on the Outreach website late Friday. In his note, Francis that homosexuality not a and said he spoke out order to stress that criminalization is neither good nor I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual act out- side of marriage is a Francis wrote in Spanish, underlining the phrase. But in a nod to his case-by-case ap- proach to pastoral ministry, Francis noted that even that teaching is sub- ject to consideration of the circum- stances, may decrease or elim- inate He acknowledged he could have been clearer in his comments to the AP. But he said he was using and conversational in the interview that call for precise you can see, I was repeating something in general.

I should have said: is a sin, as is any sexual act outside of This is to speak of of sin, but we know well that Catholic morality not only takes into consideration the matter, but also evaluates freedom and intention; and this, for every kind of he said. Some 67 countries or jurisdictions worldwide criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which can or do impose the death penalty, ac- cording to The Human Dignity Trust, which works to end such laws. Experts say even where the laws are not en- forced, they contribute to harassment, stigmatization and violence against LGBTQ people. Catholic teaching forbids gay mar- riage, holding that the sacrament of marriage is a lifelong bond between a man and a woman. It reserves inter- course for married couples while for- bidding contraception.

In his decadelong Fran- cis has upheld that teaching but has made outreach to LGBTQ people a pri- ority. He has stressed a more merciful approach to applying church doctrine, to accompany people rather than judge them. In a note released Friday, Pope Francis reaffirmed that homosexuality not a ANDREW Pope comments on homosexuality and sin in note Acknowledges he could have been clearer before Nicole ASSOCIATED PRESS Arizona Democrats chose union or- ganizer Yolanda Bejarano in a landslide to lead the work into 2024, with prying control of the state Legis- lature away from Repub- licans a foremost goal. Bejarano received of votes from the 626 state party commit- tee members who gath- ered online Saturday to choose their new leaders. She defeated Steve Gallar- do, a Maricopa County supervisor backed by Gov.

Katie Hobbs, in a contest that some viewed as a test of in- within the party. Bejarano will take the helm of a party fresh victories in November that saw Democrats take the top three posts in state government for the time in nearly 50 years. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D- won a full six-year term in one of the most competitive races in the na- tion.

She also will face pressure to turn those victories into a streak in 2024 when Arizonans will vote for president, a U.S. Senate seat and state lawmakers and deliver on goals to turn the purple state blue. Democrats had huge suc- cesses in both 2020 and 2022, and it is my full intention to continue that trajec- tory into 2024 and she said in a statement. is much to be done and I look forward to speaking with peo- ple across the state to ensure that we have a successful and strategy not just for federal races, but for our state and local races as The state party election this year saw a primary goal emerge from both candi- dates: control of the state Legis- lature, where Republicans have a single- vote majority in both chambers. Demo- crats have not had majorities in the chambers for decades, and winning in 2024 would deliver Hobbs a Legislature with enough allies to accomplish her policy goals in her term.

strategy is organizing from the ground up, not from the top Bej- arano said, pledging to focus on recruit- ing and electing down-ballot candidates in every legislative district. Who is new party Chair Yolanda Bejarano? Bejarano, 48, is a director for the Communications Workers of America. She previously was a vice chair of the state party, and replaces former party chair and state Sen. Raquel D- Phoenix. The Arizona Democratic Par- reorganization meeting on Satur- day, held on Zoom with votes cast via ElectionBuddy software, lasted about hours, with brief technical ties causing interruptions in the agenda.

Bejarano grew up in Roll, in south- western Arizona, and entered politics after the passage a decade ago of Senate Bill 1070, which required police to in- quire about immigration status and was criticized nationally as permissive of ra- cial As party chair, she will oversee ef- forts to recruit and elect Democrats at a time when Arizona is seemingly always under the spotlight. That national attention comes with unprecedented resources: The state party raised more than $50 million for last election, trouncing over $4 million in fundraising by the state Re- publican Party, which is in an identity crisis of its own that was by defeats in November. Those losses prompted calls for the GOP to return to a big-tent, more moderate approach sep- arate from the grip of former President Donald star-power politics. Every statewide elected Democrat, except for Hobbs, endorsed Bejarano. Kelly, said Saturday that Bejara- will strengthen our par- ty and guarantee even more wins up and down the Gallardo, a former state lawmaker who was elected to the Board of Super- visors in 2015, will seek another term on the county board in 2024.

He cast him- self as an experienced candidate and proven winner in his bid for party chair, and signaled support for Bejarano af- ter his loss on Saturday. congratulate Gallardo said. want to be able to work with her. all in this together and we all have a mission to that Legislature, and I wish her the best. here to help her in any way I Democrats turn focus to more wins Some political insiders saw the par- ty leadership race as a proxy battle be- tween Hobbs, who recruited Gallardo, and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who urged Bejarano to run.

Bejarano later said Fontes was a friend but not the person who suggested she seek the chair position. like his 2022 campaigns, Fontes orchestrated a solid GOP consultant Barrett Marson said of win. now Fontes showed he has juice with the party But Tony Cani, a Democratic con- sultant, said Hobbs remains very in- and the party will now co- alesce around the work ahead. party is going to do everything it can to support Hobbs as she against an extreme Legislature this year at the Capitol, and next year at the ballot he said. Gov.

Hobbs is going to keep doing what she has al- ways done since she was a party vol- unteer before she ever ran for going to put her all into helping Democrats win up and down the bal- Gallardo said having two candi- dates was a of energy, not in- traparty drama. believe a he said. a good thing to have this type of energy within our party. It really just shows Democrats care about the fu- ture of Arizona and going to be united into 2024 to the Legisla- Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepu- blic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter Arizona Democrats elect Bejarano as party chair Stacey Barchenger Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK Bejarano In a tense meeting, Arizona Republi- cans rejected a hardcore election denier as their new state leader and instead chose DeWit, a former Trump who aims to bring a level of unity to the frac- tured party.

DeWit, who also is a former state treasurer, touted his fundraising prowess and ability to energize the party to achieve more election wins. are going to unify and going to get back to winning DeWit said after now-former party Chair Kelli Ward announced that he had received of the vote among the other candi- dates. have the right message. We are for freedom. about our kids.

about taking back our kids taking back our The election for a new party chair was a chance to steer the increasingly right- leaning organization toward more unity and the possibility of more election vic- tories than seen in the past four years. Former President Donald dra- matic loss in 2020, the far-reaching im- ages of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and attempts by some Trump supporters to overturn the election in Ar- izona and other states increased division in the party. Moderates and supporters of the late Republican Sen.

John McCain found themselves with a slate of Trump-en- dorsed candidates on ballot, and election results showed many of them voted for Democrats or vote at all for the top statewide candidates. DeWit the favorite of the far- right party members who support mas- sive changes to the election system that was Steve Daniels, an activist and leader of a political action committee called the Patriot Party who wants to eliminate early and mail voting, remove from the election process and announce a result at the end of Elec- tion Day. But DeWit, as a former state treasurer, had gathered the most momentum and big-name endorsements among the six contenders for the two-year post. State committee members cast 1,225 votes for DeWit, far more than the other candidates. Daniels got only 129 votes, coming in third to Vera Gebran, who received 243 votes.

The other three party chair candidates Dan Farley (who ended up dropping out), Lori Ann Martinez and Sheila Muehling re- ceived fewer than 100 votes each. Despite failure, resolutions voted on by the state committee mem- bers made it clear that election security remains a high priority for Republicans. Members voted for several election-ori- ented resolutions, including one that called for a similar day, one election process that supporters want. They also voted overwhelmingly to turn down a resolution added to the bal- lot stating that Joe Biden was the legiti- mate winner in 2020. Resume of Trump bona In his three-minute pre-vote speech, DeWit brought election-conspiracy icons Sens.

Wendy Rogers, and Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, to stand at his side and bragged that he had raised more than a billion dollars for the former president. He called himself a and touted the en- dorsements of Trump, unsuccessful gov- ernor and secretary of state candidates Kari Lake and Mark Finchem, retired Gen. Michael Flynn and former Joe Arpaio, making his election-denial credentials clear. State committeewoman Karen Wood of Gilbert said she voted for DeWit be- cause a good job uniting the par- and will to the post. has a lot of experience, he has a lot of she said.

also grassroots and America DeWit worked as the top campaign for Trump in Arizona in 2016, and then nationally in 2020. Trump appoint- ed him as chief in 2018. During a recent campaign forum, he told a crowd he had worked hard for Trump on but his name was as prominent in na- tionally or in Arizona to overturn the 2020 election. Unlike Ward, he did not play a role in the to send fake electors for Trump to Congress before the Jan. 6, 2021, vote His name appeared in emails related to the state parti- san audit of the 2020 election in Marico- pa County in a discussion with former party chair and audit Randy Pul- len whether a fundraising organization for the audit was legitimate.

they are OK to donate to? Trump DeWit wrote in an April 28, 2021, text to Pullen. He later explained that he asking on behalf of Trump direct- ly, but was referring to the body of sup- porters for Trump. Farley, Gebran, Martinez and Mueh- ling received less applause from the crowd than either Daniels or DeWit as they appeared to support a more mod- erate approach to party leadership. Far- ley, during his speech, said DeWit was the candidate for the and asked state committee members to cast their votes for DeWit instead of him. DeWit later told The Arizona Repub- lic he was looking forward to the ground on Monday, with one priority being to and recruit new candidates for 2024.

think our party knows we need to come DeWit said. had but we need to remember that all here for a common goal. our principles that will win the day and got to get back to focusing on Raucous crowd for gathering Fourteen-hundred state committee members and their guests attended the gathering at Dream City Church in north Phoenix. The festive event in- cluded dozens of tables representing conservative groups or politicians, food trucks and local political celebrities like Rep. Paul Gosar, Lake and nu- merous state legislators.

Before voting took place, the divi- sion in the party was on full display as the now-former party Chair Kelli Ward fought onstage with grassroots mem- bers who demanded time to speak against the agenda and rules. of several members of the crowd shouted as she spoke. will recognize people when the time is appropriate, not when the mob starts she said, asking security to remove state committeeman Joe Neglia from the room until able to exercise The move brought loud boos from the crowd and Neglia removed. Another would-be speaker got into a shouting match with Ward. She asked for voice-votes from the crowd and continued when it appeared a majority moved to approve the agenda and rules.

Tristan Manos, an observer and pre- cinct committeeman from Legislative District 5, said he was by attempt to Neglia, a registered parliamentari- an Manos believes has helped the par- ty. DeWit selected as the new leader for Arizona Republicans Ray Stern Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK DeWit.