Russian edition of Pope Francis' autobiography censors LGBT content

In the 2026 Russian edition of Pope Francis' autobiography titled "Nadezhda," published by "Alpina Publisher," several passages have been censored. This was announced at the end of July by the bookstore Primus Versus, which released photos of the affected pages. Reports indicate that the same sections have also been removed from the electronic version of the publication.

The censored text addresses the Pope's views on homosexuality and the Church's openness towards LGBT individuals. According to Meduza, a section was removed in which Pope Francis states that "homosexuality is not a crime." Passages discussing same-sex partnerships and transgender individuals were also omitted.

Further indication of the censorship came from theologian Natalja Vasiljevich, who compared the Russian version with the original text. The fact that certain views of the Pope on LGBT issues are not reflected in the Russian edition has also attracted the attention of the group "Christians Against War."