Vatican Synod Office’s Artwork References LGBTQ+ Inclusion

The Vatican’s Synod office posted LGBTQ-inclusive artwork to its social media channels recently, further evidence of the reality that LGBTQ+ issues have been appearing in synodal discourse worldwide.

Today’s post is slightly different. It features limited text to instead spotlight several of the pieces shared by the Synod office, which were done by Philadelphia-based artist Becky McIntyre based on a local synod session there involving university students. The images posted to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter were in cropped form, but in several of them, references to gender and sexual diversity are visible. You can view the images below.

LGBTQ+ people and allies have been participating with enthusiasm in the synodal journey which now enters its second and final year. It is a positive sign that church officials are willing to recognize the community and promote artwork that imagines a truly inclusive church.

New Ways Ministry will be hosting “Continuing the LGBTQ+ Synod Conversations” in November. These sessions build on the series of LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations held earlier this year that helped shape New Ways Ministry’s report for the Synod. The two virtual sessions will include time for prayer and small group discussion so that LGBTQ+ people and allies’ can further share their experiences and faith. To learn more or to register, click here.

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, October 15, 2022