Cameroonian Priest: African Synod Delegates Likely to Resist Pro-LGBTQ+ Ideas
Fr. Ludovic Lado, S.J.
A Cameroonian priest has suggested that African delegates to the Synod on Synodality assembly next month at the Vatican may be quite resistant to any efforts at being more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.
Writing in The Tablet last month, Fr. Ludovic Lado, S.J. reflected critically about how negatively the church in Africa has been receiving the synodal process, and specifically when it comes to questions of gender and sexuality. He writes:
“I don’t hear any of the African delegates to the Synod in Rome saying that making room for ‘everybody’ in Church means including LGBT+ people. Many may be open to the idea of making more room for women in positions of authority in the Church, but that is the farthest they can go on gender equity issues. At least for now!”
Lado, who oversees a church-run education center in Chad and is originally from Cameroon, begins with these words:
“[F]rom what I have observed, it would be difficult to say that Catholics at the grassroots in Africa are particularly excited about the upcoming Synod on synodality in Rome in October. It is business as usual in church and society – each continues unperturbed, ruled by the dogma of patriarchy, as they have been for centuries.”
Lado, author of The Politics of Gender Reforms in West Africa, acknowledges that, on women’s rights and roles in the church, “gender equality remains marginal and highly controversial” in many African nations. Religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, which dominate many countries, are central to ongoing oppression, according to Lado. In his examination of LGBTQ+ rights, he states:
“Such resistance to change enjoys powerful popular support, especially so when it is linked to the inclusion of gay people in the life of the Church and the rights of LGBT+ people. The Church has room for all – Todos, todos, todos! (‘Everyone, everyone, everyone!’) – Pope Francis told the huge crowds of young people in Portugal last week. But his message that the Church should make use of the gifts of all its members and that it should be open to all – including LGBT+ people – is not getting through in Africa. The social matrix – especially in religious communities – remains largely homophobic.”
Lado notes that Pope Francis’ statement earlier this year that “homosexuality is not a crime” was not well received by most African ecclesial and political leaders. Rather, these leaders rely on anti-gay sentiments to retain control and coalesce power. Lado concludes that such attitudes will impair African participants at the Synod assembly from being open to inclusive gestures:
“Some political leaders have mastered the art of riding on homophobic sentiments, alleging that Western lobbies are on a new mission of ideological colonisation in Africa. And I don’t recall ever having read a pastoral letter from an African bishop defending gay people from prejudice and discrimination. On the contrary, most of them cite biblical and magisterial texts to support their condemnation of homosexuality. Pope Francis urged young people in Lisbon to chant, ‘Everybody, everybody, everybody’.
“I don’t hear any of the African delegates to the Synod in Rome saying that making room for ‘everybody’ in Church means including LGBT+ people. Many may be open to the idea of making more room for women in positions of authority in the Church, but that is the farthest they can go on gender equity issues. At least for now!”
Fr. Lado’s analysis about the current Synod assembly is consistent with events at previous Synods, like those on the family in 2014-15 and on youth in 2018. The delegates from Eastern Europe and parts of African at those meetings strongly resisted any effort to improve pastoral care for LGBTQ+ people. Those delegates were all bishops, though. Perhaps, now that lay people, including women, religious, and clergy, will be delegates, there will be more African voices like Fr. Lado’s charting a different path that uplifts a church for “everybody.”
—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, September 11, 2023
How very sad that the Church might sell its soul to curry favour with dictators!
African Synod Delegates Likely to Resist Pro-LGBTQ+ Ideas
Unfortunately, I believe Fr. Ludovic Lado, S.J. is accurate in his reflections, and, in support, the author of this blog, Robert Shine, reminds us of the outcome of two previous synods—on the family in 2014-15 and on youth in 2018.
I believe the naysayers will not only include the African Synod Delegates, but also, the Eastern European Delegates as well as our own delegation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). After all, the synthesis of the USCCB to the Continental Phase of this synodical process excluded any input from Catholic affiliated groups. It only included the input from a small group of hand selected lay persons who simply “rubber stamped” what the USCCB delegates wanted them to say.
Voice of the Faithful on the North American Continental Assembly of the Synod on Synodality 2021-2024
Excerpts from letter of VOTF President, Mary Pat Fox, dated May 2023 mailed to the membership by USPS.
Something curious happened on the way to the Conclusion of the North American Continental Assembly of the Synod on Synodality 2021-2024.
You may recall that, when we wrote to you last May at the end of our 2022 fiscal year, we had completed 50 Synod sessions for the Diocesan Stage, comprising more than 450 participants, and were completing our report to send directly to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. The next stage, the Continental Stage, wrapped up March 31, 2023, with the seven Continental Assemblies submitting Final documents. The General Secretariat will prepare the guiding document for the Synod of Bishops’ first session, Oct. 4-29, 2023, from the Continental reports.
When the USCCB gathered input for the North American Continental Stage, the bishops invited representatives from “Region XVI,” Catholic Lay Organizations, including Voice of the Faithful, to listening sessions where we could provide additional input. VOTF President Mary Pat Fox and Executive Director Donna B. Doucette attended those sessions. To prepare, they studied the Vatican’s Continental Stage Document and Diocesan Stage reports and also held two listening sessions for VOTF members to gather even more input from the faithful for the USCCB listening sessions.
This is when things got curious. After what Mary Pat, Donna, and the other attendees considered quite productive USCCB listening and breakout sessions, they were told that none of their input would be used in the report submitted by the U. S. and Canada as a Continent. The USCCB’s declaration drew great concern. The Region XVI representatives had voiced their Spirit-led intuitions, their joys and misgivings about their Church, only to be told they did not matter. The USCCB said these Continental Stage Region XVI sessions were not considered part of the official Synod.
When the USCCB gathered information to be submitted by the U. S. and Canada as a Continent, they did not have a physical meeting.
Bishop John Stowe’s Comments on the USCCB’s Participation in the North American Continental Assembly of the Synod on Synodality 2021-2024.
“Asia, Europe and Africa with their vast geographies and cultural diversity were able to conduct continental assemblies. Even the Middle East created such an assembly,” he (Bishop John Stowe) said. “North America did not, citing economic and practical difficulties in coming together.”
This is not your typical synod. Part one is listening to hear the Holy Spirit as each member experiences the divine presence without judgement.
In that prayerful respect conversion of heart and mind may happen.
Members can bring this gift home and spend a year discerning what this can mean for the whole community
Part three is time to shape a path foreword from these treasures which is presented to the Bishop of Rome as a guide to his service of leadership.
May I be patient and open. Gracias
Todos, todos, todos!