In what is being called a seismic shift in tone, the Vatican this week released a report in which it seemed to, for the first time ever, address same-sex relationships in a somewhat-positive light.
An interim report released Monday from the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, a Vatican meeting of more than 200 Catholic leaders, noted that the Catholic Church should not equate heterosexual and same-sex relationships, but that, “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 partners.”
The document also noted that “homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community” and went on to question, “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?”
Reaction to the report was swift, with progressives praising the evolving tone and more conservative Catholics blasting shifts on LGBT inclusion, as well as the Vatican shifting positions on topics like divorce and unmarried cohabitation.
On Tuesday, the Vatican issued a statement cautioning that the report was a “working document” and does not indicate a “positive evaluation” of same-sex relationships.
In a statement provided to PGN Tuesday, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia noted that “portions of the text have drawn immediate and premature reaction.”
“While important questions involving marriage and sexuality have been posed, these matters are framed for further discussion and imply no substantive change in Catholic teaching,” the statement said. “The Church holds that all persons are made in the image of God and that each person, without exception, therefore should be treated with dignity. That will not change. Nor will Catholic teaching on the nature of marriage and the family, and their centrality to a healthy society.”
However, Mike Viola, president of LGBT Catholic group Dignity Philadelphia, said that the tenor of the document is new.
“This is not a change in church doctrine, and it’s also not a final report, but this is definitely a change in tone,” he said. “I don’t think they’re going to go as far as to say, ‘Yes, we approve of same-sex marriage.’ It’ll be a long time before that happens — it’s taken 2,000-plus years just to get us to this point — but I think it shows a positive step. It’s a very smart move on the part of the church to say, ‘Look, there are LGBT people and they’re Catholic and we should be welcoming them.’ And once that horse is out of the barn, you can’t pull it back. You can’t say in the future, ‘Well, we’re not that welcoming, we don’t want you all the time, just when we need you.’ I don’t think that can happen now.”
Viola added that, in advance of the Synod, parishioners were given the chance to weigh in — and that feedback may have come into play in the draft document.
“They actually seem to have paid attention to what I guess parishioners were saying in their communities. It’s nice to see a response from the bottom-up, not from the top-down.”