The Catholic Church, which previously condemned homosexuality as “intrinsically disordered,” is considering embracing homosexual believers, as well as partially accepting same-sex, and other religiously unsanctioned partnerships.
"Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian
community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing
to them a further space in our communities? Often they wish to
encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home," it
said in a “relatio,” a document released at the half-way point of
the Synod, a two-week discussion of Catholicism and personal
relationships at the Vatican, attended by 200 senior bishops.
"Are our communities capable of proving that, accepting and
valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic
doctrine on the family and matrimony?”
The Synod, which has been attended by Pope Francis, has also
recognized the validity of gay relationships, though it stopped
far short of equating them to marriage.
"Without denying the moral problems connected to homosexual
unions it has to be noted that there are cases in which mutual
aid to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in
the life of the partners," said the relatio, which is a
preliminary discussion draft that will likely form the basis of
the final address, to be issued after the closed-door Synod wraps
up.
While homosexual desires are not considered inherently sinful by
the Vatican, gay sex is. Yet, Pope Francis already signaled a
potentially less condemnatory stance last year, famously saying,
“Who am I to judge?” when questioned about celibate gay
men becoming priests. In a last-minute move, the pontiff
personally introduced several of his theological allies into the
relatio drafting committee last week.
QUEST, a long-established gay Catholic group, said the new
statements "represent a breakthrough in that they acknowledge
that such unions have an intrinsic goodness and constitute a
valuable contribution to wider society and the common good."
Meanwhile, David and Jonathan, a gay Christian association in
France, said it received the news “with joy.”
"The fact that we are even on the agenda is amazing…” said
spokeswoman Elizabeth Saint-Guily.
The Synod has also called for the application of the “law of
gradualness,” with unconventional family situations – be it
marriages conducted without a church blessing or co-habitation –
to be seen in nuanced, not black-and-white terms. Priests are
encouraged to nurture "constructive elements in those
situations that do not yet or no longer correspond to that
ideal," instead of “alienating” believers by
telling them they are “living in sin.”
“Each damaged family first of all should be listened to with
respect and love, becoming companions on the journey as Christ
did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus,” said the
relatio, which insisted that the church must “accept the
reality” of modern relationships.
The relatio did not shift its fundamental opposition of birth
control, but said that if any such methods are practiced, they
must take into account the “dignity of the person,” with
natural method the preferred way of avoiding conception.
The conclusions of the meeting will be discussed over the next
year, before the definitive document of Pope Francis’s era is
published after another Synod.