Catholics Resist Bay Area Bishops’ Letter Denying Transgender Identities

Catholic parents and community members have strongly resisted a transgender-negative joint letter from two California bishops this fall. Read More

LGBTQ+ Youth “Deserve So Much Better” from Church, Writes Catholic Sister

Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ, is currently grieving the loss of freedom for many LGBTQ+ students in Ohio. Read More

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

Nick Fagnant, Commonweal's Synod Writing Fellow and a doctoral student in theology, writes about how the spirit of Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality can influence Catholic schools’ policies toward LGBTQ+ students. Read More

Sacred Heart U. Celebrates Coming Out Day; More Campus News

Today’s post features several Catholic colleges that are seeking to provide greater support to students in the LGBTQ+ community. Read More

U.S. Bishops’ New Mental Health Campaign Rings Hollow for LGBTQ+ People

This message of accompaniment and welcome rings hollow for members of the LGBTQ+ community whose mental health has been impacted by homophobic and transphobic church teaching and policies. Read More

New Ways Ministry: Synod Report Greatly Disappoints, But We Must Have Hope

In the Synod on Synodality’s first two years, Catholics worldwide expressed a strong desire for the church to engage positively with LGBTQ+ people. Today, the final report of the Synod’s first General Assembly disappoints by simply reaffirming the hierarchy’s status quo. Read More

Will There Be LGBTQ+ Progress at the Synod? Possibly Yes. And Possibly No.

Today, the Synod General Assembly's synthesis report will be released. But will the Synod on Synodality really bring significant change for LGBTQ Catholics? Read More

Why I Have Mixed Feelings About the Synod’s “Letter to the People of God”

The Synod’s General Assembly released the first of two anticipated documents yesterday. The text signals that calls for an inclusive church have been heard, though offers few concrete proposals. Read More

Just What Does ‘Homophobia Must Be Rejected’ Actually Mean?

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. Read More

Diocese of Davenport’s New LGBTQ+ Guidelines Model Synodality in Action

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. Read More