On Synod's First Day, Differing Opinions on What Can Be Expected

As I mentioned last week, I’m in Rome for the first part of October to observe the proceedings of the Vatican’s synod on marriage and family topics.  Of course, lingering over the proceedings are the strong echoes from last week’s incredible set of news stories:  that someone arranged for Kim Davis to meet Pope Francis in Washington, DC; that Pope Francis himself arranged to meet with a former student who is a gay man with a partner, who also met the pontiff; the announcement for a priest at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that he is gay.

IMG_3802

Archbishop Bruno Forte, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, and Cardinal Peter Erdo at the midday press briefing for the synod’s first day.

As the synod progresses, I’ll be posting here both from news articles, as well as some of my personal impressions. Today, the first day of the synod, there was not much news on any particular topic, especially LGBT concerns. Cardinal Péter Erdő, of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, who is the synod’s general relator, commented on lesbian and gay issues, though not with much significance or specificity.    The National Catholic Reporter noted his comment:

“The cardinal also spoke of the church’s ministry to gay and lesbian persons, addressing the topic of persons with ‘homosexual tendencies.’

” ‘It is reiterated that every persons should be respected in their dignity, independent of their sexual tendency,’ he said. ‘It is desirable that pastoral programs might set aside a particular attention to the families in which persons with homosexual tendencies live.’ “

At the midday press conference, the comments from three bishops, including Erdo, were similarly non-committal. Perhaps the most significant line of the day came from Paris’ Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, a synod president, who said that if people are expecting “a spectacular change in the Church’s doctrine you will be disappointed.”

This sentiment was echoed by Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte, the synod secretary, who said of the meeting:

“It will not lead to doctrinal changes, because it is about pastoral attention, pastoral care. We are about resonating pastorally.”

The cautionary tone of these prelates differed greatly from the more open tone that Pope Francis expressed in opening the first session of the synod.  The National Catholic Reporter noted:

“Pope Francis has called on the hundreds of prelates gathered for his second worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops on family issues to remain open in their deliberations to the call of the Holy Spirit, repeating his frequent assertion that God is a God of surprises. . . .

” ‘It is the Church that questions itself on its fidelity to the deposit of the faith, so that it does not represent a museum to be looked at or only to be safeguarded, but a living spring from which the church drinks to quench thirst and illuminate the deposit of life,’ the pontiff said of the Synod.

” ‘The Synod is also a protected space where the Church goes through the action of the Holy Spirit,’ said Francis.

” ‘In the Synod, the Spirit speaks through the language of all people who allow themselves to be guided by God who always surprises, by God who reveals to the little ones that which he has hidden from the wise and intelligent,’ he said.”

Of course, since the Spirit speaks though “all people,” LGBT people should have been invited to speak at the synod. As well as a lot more women.  Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland and the mother of a gay son, said at a Catholic LGBT conference in Rome this weekend (more on this event in another post) that she thought that the composition of the family synod as all unmarried men was “absurd” because not one of its voting members ever had to change a baby’s diaper.

On Sunday, at the Mass opening the synod, Pope Francis, commenting on the day’s liturgical readings, re-affirmed the magisterium’s selection of the heterosexual norm for marriage.  The Huffington Post reported:

Francis dedicated one third of his homily to the topic of love between man and woman and its role in procreation.

” ‘This is God’s dream for his beloved creation: to see it fulfilled in the loving union between a man and a woman, rejoicing in their shared journey, fruitful in their mutual gift of self,’ he said.

“He also spoke of the ‘true meaning of the couple and of human sexuality in God’s plan,’ a clear reference to heterosexual marriage.

“But Francis also stressed that the Church must be more welcoming, charitable, compassionate and merciful to all people, particularly those whose lives have been wounded and who those find it difficult to adhere to all of the Church’s regulations.

“The leader of the 1.2 billion member Church said the person ‘who falls or errs must be understood and loved.’

” ‘The Church must search out these persons, welcome and accompany them, for a Church with closed doors betrays herself and her mission, and, instead of being a bridge, becomes a roadblock,’ he said.”

While I do hope that the Church will at some point make doctrinal change, I think that any positive steps in pastoral care would also be a good next step.  Doctrine does not change over night.  The first step is dialogue, and Pope Francis has been encouraging that at this synod and through his other messages.  Dialogue can bring about change in pastoral practice, which is a very important step.  Following pastoral practice is the step of theological reflection on that practice, noting what the Church has experienced and learned.  Only after theological reflection will a change in doctrine occur.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

 

 

 

 

 

 

13 replies
  1. Brian Kneeland
    Brian Kneeland says:

    I must admit I am not too amused by terms like “tendencies”and the emphasis on procreation. First- being gay is not about tendencies but about an orientation! I’m sure that some of those bishops also have these “tendencies”! Plus there is far too much emphasis on procreation. what of couples beyond child bearing years or infertile couples? Are their marriages less valid and sacramental? my hope and prayer is that these bishops listen to the spirit as she speaks to the church and says “let us build a church where all are welcome!”

    Reply
  2. winterhavenlarry
    winterhavenlarry says:

    Frank, thanks for that last paragraph about pastoral ministry to LGBT people. I agree that doctrine will not change overnight. But if the Church will provide acceptance and provide genuinely inclusive Ministry, then I believe that Catholics will get to know more LGBT people as they truly are. That’s when the beliefs will be re-evaluated.

    Reply
    • Bill Freeman
      Bill Freeman says:

      Not so sure that pastoral care will lead to doctrinal development. Recently history shows the exact opposite. Remember when JP2-B16 banned Dignity from celebrating Eucharist at all Churches? The abandonment of the Sunday night Dignity mass at Georgetown was particularly alarming.

      The elephant in the room is the pontificates of the past 35 years, the rule-bound, accountant-type priests and bishops single-mindedly committed to “reform the reform.”

      Reply
  3. dollypomerleau
    dollypomerleau says:

    Is the church position on marriage being only between a man and a woman actually “doctrine” or is it simply tradition and a “teaching?”

    Reply
  4. Joseph McTaggart
    Joseph McTaggart says:

    Why let bishops, their representatives, or any official speaking to the public use such inaccurate terms such as: “homosexual tendencies.” Have you ever heard any knowledgeable or professional use the term:” hetro-sexual tendencies”?

    Those speaking of gay or lesbian people using the the words, “homosexual tendencies” are already using pejorative language and are telling you they know nothing of homosexual persons at all.

    Some cardinal or bishop announcing what took place at the synod today used precisely that negative term. It took so long for reporters et. al. to not call immigrants “illegal ALIENS.” Immigrants are not from Mars, nor are they alien in any other way.

    This kind of talk by that cardinal today is also akin to speaking of homosexual persons as CHOOSING to be gay or straight. It is an orientation! Language is formative and it ought to be accurate and appropriate especially in public pronouncements or in anyone’s conversati

    Reply
  5. Bishop Carlos Florido, osf
    Bishop Carlos Florido, osf says:

    Nothing said about integration and fully acceptance. All I have heard up to know have been meaningless words. Do they think that LGBT persons are uneducated idiots! I am willing to bet that there is a larger number of closeted gays among the members of the Synod.

    Reply
  6. Kathleen
    Kathleen says:

    I would like to ask Archbishop Forte how he plans to “resonate pastorally” or positively with such negative messages!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] This post is the third in Bondings 2.0’s reports from the Synod on Marriage and Family in Rome.  New Ways Ministry’s Executive Director Francis DeBernardo will continue to send news and commentary from this meeting. Previous posts can be reached by clicking here and here.  […]

  2. […] This post is the second in Bondings 2.0’s reports from the Synod on Marriage and Family in Rome.  New Ways Ministry’s Executive Director Francis DeBernardo will continue to send news and commentary from this meeting. His first post can be reached by clicking here.  […]

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *