Monday, October 13, 2014

Can the Catholic Church Change Its Attitude Toward Gays?


Reports coming out of Rome cite a new document released today at the ongoing synod at the Vatican called by Pope Francis which is known as a relatio post disceptationem.  By Catholic Church standards - it took the Church centuries to face and admit its wrongful condemnation of Galileo - the document does sound almost revolutionary in it hints at possible changes to how it addresses Catholics who are divorced and remarried, how it addresses gay people, how it addresses contemporary culture.  However, talk is cheap as the saying goes and the real proof will come in how the Church actually changes it approach through actions - actions such as not firing gay employees who admit their sexual orientation or, horror of horrors, marry their same sex spouse.  It goes without saying that there will be terrific blow back from (i) some of the bitter closet cases within the Vatican hierarchy and in bishoprics across the globe, and (ii) far right Catholics who can only feel superior when denigrating and condemning others (think William Donohue of the farcical Catholic League).  Meanwhile, I hope Pope Francis doesn't eat or drink anything until a taster has previously sampled it.  Both Reuters and the National Catholic Reporter look at the development.  First highlights from Reuters:

VATICAN CITY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - In a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican document said on Monday that homosexuals had "gifts and qualities to offer" and asked if Catholicism could accept gays and recognise positive aspects of same-sex couples.

The document, prepared after a week of discussions at an assembly of 200 bishops on the family, said the Church should challenge itself to find "a fraternal space" for homosexuals without compromising Catholic doctrine on family and matrimony.

While the text did not signal any change in the Church's condemnation of homosexual acts or its opposition to gay marriage, it used language that was less judgmental and more compassionate than past Vatican statements under previous popes.

The document will be the basis for discussion for the second and final week of the assembly, known as a synod, which was called by Pope Francis and focuses on the theme of the family.

It will also serve for further reflection among Catholics around the world ahead of another, definitive synod next year.

 "Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a further space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home," said the document, known by its Latin name "relatio".


"The document clearly reflects Pope Francis' desire to adopt a more merciful pastoral approach on marriage and family issues," he said.

A number of participants at the closed-door synod have said the Church should tone down its condemnatory language when referring to gay couples and avoid phrases such as "intrinsically disordered" when speaking of homosexuals.


The document also showed considerable opening to heterosexual couples who were married only in civil services or who were living together, mentioning "positive aspects" of such unions, especially if the couple saw them as a prelude to marriage in the Church. 

Here are excerpts from the piece in the National Catholic Reporter:
Taking a decidedly different tone than many church statements in recent years, the worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops on family issues has released a document calling for the church to listen more, to respect people in their various struggles, and to apply mercy much more widely.

Summarizing the work of the continuing meeting, known as a synod, the document acknowledges bluntly that the strict application of church doctrine is no longer enough to support people in their quest for God.

"It is necessary to accept people in their concrete being, to know how to support their search, to encourage the wish for God and the will to feel fully part of the Church, also on the part of those who have experienced failure or find themselves in the most diverse situations," states the document, released Monday morning.

Among the many changes in tone in the document are how it addresses Catholics who are divorced and remarried, how it addresses gay people, how it addresses contemporary culture -- and, more widely, how it asks for a church that is always open.

At one point, it quotes Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium ("The Joy of the Gospel"), stating: "The Church is called on to be 'the house of the Father, with doors always wide open ... where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems' and to move towards those who feel the need to take up again their path of faith."
Would I like to see the Church come into the 21st Century - even the 20th century ?  Most definitely.  Will I be holding my breath expecting real change?  Definitely not.  

 

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