The Vatican’s affirmation that transgender people should be welcomed in the church’s sacramental life signals Pope Francis’ desire for a pastorally-focused approach to LGBTQ+ issues is taking hold.
The synod is supposed to be a consultation of the whole church.
Today, the Synod General Assembly’s synthesis report will be released. But will the Synod on Synodality really bring significant change for LGBTQ Catholics?
If this assembly’s final synthesis can only come up with an agreement that all homophobia must be rejected, it must have a good definition of what the assembly means by homophobia.
The Diocese of Davenport’s new guidelines on LGBTQ+ pastoral care are “strikingly positive,” and could possibly “shift the trend of transgender-negative diocesan policies in the U.S.,” contends Robert Shine, associate director of New Ways Ministry.
Was Radcliffe using coded language to describe LGBTQ+ experience? I don’t think so. I think that if he wanted to make a point about LGBTQ+ people, he would have done so much more plainly.
If the LGBT issue is raised, “then the Lord himself, through collective discernment, will tell us that for this topic, you need to follow this direction.”
If anyone worried that LGBTQ+ issues were going to get short shrift in synod discussions, that does not seem to be the case.
Though the Vatican’s latest statement about same-gender couples does not provide a full-fledged, ringing endorsement of blessing their unions, the document significantly advances Pope Francis’ work to include and affirm LGBTQ+ people.
God’s ways, however, are different from our human ways. Much to our shock and horror, God insists on everyone being treated truly as equals.