Synodality Can Produce Supportive Polices for LGBTQ+ Students, Writes Theologian

“The most basic and first expression of our love should be to listen,” states the Archdiocese of Davenport, Iowa’s “Guidelines for Pastoral Accompaniment of Sexual and Gender Minorities,” released in October.

Nick Fagnant, Commonweal’s Synod Writing Fellow and a doctoral student in theology, cites this document as an example of how the spirit of Pope Francis’ current Synod on Synodality can influence Catholic schools’ policies toward LGBTQ+ students. Fagnant calls the Archdiocese of Davenport’s policy, “evidence that the work of the Synod—and the courage of LGBTQ+ students and their families—is already bearing fruit.”

In Commonweal, Fagnant contrasts two Midwestern dioceses’ responses to calls for inclusive LGBTQ+ student policies in recent years. Sadly, genuine listening has not always been the starting point for dioceses developing such policies. Fagnant reports that in 2022 the Archdiocese of Omaha issued a controversial “Policy on Human Sexuality” for immediate enforcement in its approximately 70 Catholic schools. Among many negative rules the policy contained was one that said schools “shall not sponsor, endorse, facilitate, host or provide accommodation to any person, group, entity, event, or activity that would condone or promote a view of sexual identity that is contrary to the Church’s teachings, including views of gender and sexuality contrary to Catholic Church teachings.”

Community pushback was strong. Fagnant reports that by October, a group of “parents, grandparents, and Omaha Catholic schools alumni” had organized themselves under the name “Catholic Families for Love,” and had written a letter detailing their concerns. The letter, addressed to Archbishop George Lucas and the superintendent of Omaha’s Catholic schools, raised questions about the process by which the policy had been developed, and the letter called for greater transparency and consultation. The letter asked:

“Who is writing/drafting this policy? Who has been invited into the process and what are their credentials/qualifications? Are Catholics who identify as LGBTQIA+ being asked for their input regarding this policy? If so, how? How is the Archdiocese taking into account its own synodal report that underscores the need to welcome the LGBTQIA+ community, who often feel alienated from the Church?”

Catholic Families for Love’s grassroots response called the Archdiocese of Omaha to abandon what Fagnant characterizes as its “top-down approach,” moving instead toward the synodal way.

The archdiocese offered a revised policy which went into effect in August 2023, but it, too, was disappointing to LGBTQ+ advocates. The policy states that if members of the community “desire accommodations or accompaniment that do not follow this policy, it may be necessary to begin the school transfer process.” While the archdiocesan website claims that this policy was developed in consultation with “up to 150 individuals with varying levels of professional backgrounds, demographics, and competencies,” it clearly falls short of the standard of synodal listening, according to Fagnant.

The Diocese of Davenport, by contrast, captures the effect of true listening, saying, “This is not a listening to refute or with an agenda, but to truly understand people—their experiences, needs, and concerns. This requires humility, patience, and self-control. The more we understand someone, the better we can accompany them.”

Fagnant points out that the Diocese of Davenport’s policy uses synodal language throughout, making clear references to the global movement toward synodality. The document applies the rich theology of synodal listening to practical questions about how to care for LGBTQ+ members of Catholic school communities. “Pope Francis and the Archdiocese of Davenport have given us a model,” Fagnant concludes. “What would Catholic schools—and our entire Church—look like if we followed it?”

Fagnant’s tale of two dioceses demonstrates how the spirit of the Synod is alive and well among LGBTQ+ Catholics and their allies. Take, for example, Drew Gerken, an Omaha Catholic schools parent who strongly opposed Omaha’s “Policy on Human Sexuality.” He describes his actions as a natural response to his Catholic faith: “Those of us who can, must stand up. That’s what all of our Catholic heroes have done, up to and including Jesus Christ, who stood up for vulnerable people. That’s the Catholic Church that I grew up in.”

Gerken and other members of Catholic Families for Love embody the synodal call to speak boldly about our experiences in the church; the Archdiocese of Davenport document shows what can happen when such voices are heard and heeded.

—Ariell Watson Simon (she/her), New Ways Ministry, November 11, 2023