The Synod Needs to Hear Stories of LGBTQ+ Flourishing, Writes Theologian
Nick Fagnant
“Even if others choose to live with scales over their eyes, LGBTQ+ Catholics can see the Spirit creating and renewing,” writes Nick Fagnant in an essay for Commonweal about the Synod on Synodality, which concludes next month.
Fagnant, a doctoral student in theology at Boston College, sets out to see if the Synod on Synodality, the final global assembly of which is this October, fulfills the promises of the Vatican II, which called all of the faithful toward full participation in the renewal of the church. He discusses both the promise of the Synod and ways that it has fallen short of meaningful inclusion for LGBTQ+ people and their allies.
The writer points out that while Pope Francis’ emphasis on listening and consultation can be viewed as a hopeful sign that LGBTQ+ voices could be heard and respected, Fagnant believes the two most recent Vatican documents addressing LGBTQ+ people, Fiducia Supplicans and Dignitas Infinita, “show little (if any) evidence of consultation of those actually affected by the documents.” The magisterium has yet to meaningfully incorporate the spirit of synodality in its own development of doctrine.
Fagnant speculates that fear – namely, a fear of scandal – holds the institutional church back from fully embracing the gifts of its LGBTQ+ members. He writes:
“What if the Church thought differently about scandal? Christian theologians remind us that salvation history and the Gospel itself is ‘scandalous’: God enters human history at a particular time and place, in and with and through the particular person of Jesus Christ, whose crucifixion and resurrection likewise ‘gave scandal’—and gave birth to the Church.”
Ultimately, Fagnant calls the church to step beyond questions of scandal and public opinion, saying “the mandate to treat LGBTQ+ people with the love of Christ revealed in the Gospel should not need to be a topic of discussion, much less a debate.”
The work of the Synod is grounded in a belief that the Holy Spirit is living and active in the world today, through each and every member of the faithful. Fagnant reminds us that the Synod is not only a beacon of hope – and sometimes of disappointment – for LGBTQ+ Catholics; it is an invitation to live into a sacred calling. “The grace of Baptism and incorporation into the Body of Christ calls LGBTQ+ Catholics to take on a prophetic role within the People of God, ” he states.
Fagnant proposes that this prophetic role is one of courageous witness, sharing stories of our lives of faith:
“Instead of more tales of suffering, what if, before the next October assembly, Synod participants heard prophetic stories of LGBTQ+ flourishing?”
Fagnant calls LGBTQ+ Catholics to lend their voices of witness to not only their “griefs and anxieties” but also their “joys and hopes,” adding:
“We cannot control how the rest of the Church chooses to see us, but we can choose to live boldly, embodying prophetic love and illuminating our collective journey toward a renewed Church.”
—Ariell Watson Simon (she/her), New Ways Ministry, August 29, 2024
The actual scandal of the Synod is the deception of the Church calling “all of the faithful toward full participation in the renewal of the church.” then censoring the voice and actual name of LGBTQ+ people from any of the documents.
Thanks Ariell for this article! Nick’s viewpoint is so right on! We are grateful for voices like his, as well as the voices of the New Ways Ministry team. Perhaps a story like ours is one the Synod folks should view, which is the experience of a gay couple (Jerry and I) who adopted and raised 4 children. It is a few years old now but can still be viewed on YouTube – “The Golds: Portrait of an American Family”.
Frank and Jerry Gold
Agreed! Thank you, Frank and Jerry, for your living witness. I remember watching the documentary and being moved by your story. May God bless you, and may the church come to recognize the beauty of how Christ works through families like ours.