Sr. Jeannine Gramick: Church Teaching on LGBTQ+ Issues Will “Inevitably Change”

Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SL, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, has penned an essay in the National Catholic Reporter reflecting on Pope Francis’ call for the decriminalization of homosexuality. In it, she offers an assessment of both the church’s past engagement with LGBTQ+ peoples and illustrates a vision of positive change in the future.

Gramick celebrates Pope Francis’ call for an end to laws that criminalize LGBTQ+ people, but she also points out that how the pope phrased the statement, “it’s not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin” could have been stated in a more appropriate way:

“The pope’s statement, ‘It’s a sin,’ made me and some of my colleagues think about the ambiguity of using pronouns. ‘It,’ as Francis was using the pronoun, obviously referred to homosexual acts, which official church teaching judges to be immoral. But many people, including many Catholic leaders and people in nations where LGBTQ people are criminalized, believe that ‘it’ refers to simply being homosexual. Catholic teaching does not consider being homosexual to be a sin.”

Gramick states that the hierarchy’s term “objectively disordered” to refer to a homosexual orientation is harmful, and that it does not reflect the lived experiences of queer people or accurate scientific data:

“It is little wonder that lesbian and gay persons feel rejected by the church when such language is used…Along with many other Catholics, including bishops, I believe that the ‘disorder’ language must be removed from the catechism and official church teaching.”

A frequent conservative argument against the idea that the church ought to update its attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community is that Catholic teaching cannot change, but Gramick points out that this idea is false:

“That idea is simply wrong. In 2017, at a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the publication of the catechism, Francis said, ‘Doctrine cannot be preserved without allowing it to develop, nor can it be tied to an interpretation that is rigid and immutable without demeaning the working of the Holy Spirit.’

It is precisely such a development of doctrine for which LGBTQ+ Catholics and their allies have been calling. They do not want an interpretation of sexual ethics that is “rigid and immutable” and “demeaning the working of the Holy Spirit.”

The pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI saw strong opposition to any evolution in Catholic teaching on sexual ethics. Theologians, women religious, priests, and bishops who offered criticisms of church teaching on LGBTQ+ issues were silenced. Under Pope Francis, there has been a significant departure from the way the Vatican has approached dialogue within the church. This pope has allowed for open conversations about whether church teachings ought to be changed. Gramick argues that Francis’ ability to listen to “the sensus fidelium of the people of God” is particularly important in regards to the way the institutional church encounters queer communities:

“With each passing decade, Catholics have become more comfortable in accepting LGBTQ people. More than three-quarters of U.S. Catholics support their human and civil rights and more than half approve of same-sex civil unions. This social acceptance is similar among Catholics in large parts of the Western world.”

The Synod on Synodality is an opportunity for Pope Francis to walk with his flock, and to listen to their concerns. Given that many Catholics perceive the need for a more just theological outlook on LGBTQ+ issues, now is the time for advocates to make their concerns heard. Gramick asserts that church teaching on sexuality “will inevitably change,” and yet it will only occur when Catholics speak out. She concludes:

“Those who see the necessity of change must follow their consciences…There needs to be a chorus of voices around the world, rejecting the callous and inhumane language that has wounded innumerable LGBTQ people, fostered their degradation and provoked unspeakable violence against them. We cannot afford to be silent. Millions of LGBTQ lives are at stake.”

Pope Francis’ call for the decriminalization of homosexuality is an exciting step toward the full enfranchisement of LGBTQ+ people. However, the church’s own rhetoric often perpetuates the very discrimination which Francis has condemned. Moving into the upcoming meeting of the Synod in Rome, the people of God have the opportunity to call for a more unified solidarity with the queer community reflective of Christ’s radical acceptance of all peoples.

—Andru Zodrow (he/him), New Ways Ministry, April 11, 2023