Catholic bishops shift tone in understanding of modern families
October 14, 2014
A group of roughly 200 bishops released the preliminary outcomes of their two-week meeting at the Vatican on Monday. The extraordinary synod, which Pope Francis convened, is tasked with reviewing the Church's attitude toward controversial issues surrounding sexuality and partnerships.
The document's comments on Catholic doctrine and homosexuality drew the most attention, as it questioned the Church's treatment of homosexuals and their families.
"Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community. Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?" it asked.
The bishops also noted "the mutual aid to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in the life," found in homosexual partnerships.
'A light in the darkness'
Gay rights advocates hailed the shift in tone, even though the Vatican is unlikely to change its theological stance on sexuality, namely that sex outside of a heterosexual marriage constitutes a sin.
"For the LGBT Catholics in the United States and around the world, this new document is a light in the darkness - a dramatic new tone from a church hierarchy that has long denied the very existence of committed and loving gay and lesbian partnerships," said president of the US-based Human Rights Campaign, Chad Griffin, told news agency AFP.
By contrast, conservatives criticized an attempt to change minds on an issue they see as non-negotiable.
"It's not the final word and we're going to have a lot to say about it," the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, said.
Easing up on the non-traditional?
The synod paper also advocated showing greater respect toward couples whose relationships strayed from Church teachings in the areas of cohabitation, divorce and artificial birth control.
The clergy and laity should acknowledge the "positive reality of civil weddings" and cohabitation, while still trying to help couples move in the direction of marriage, it said.
Since being named pontiff in 2013, Pope Francis has called on the Church's 1.2 billion members worldwide to reconsider how its core beliefs should be lived. The Catholic leader advocates, for example, supporting non-traditional family choices among parishioners, rather than condemning their behavior and, thus, prompting them to abandon the Church.
kms/crh (AP, AFP, Reuters)