LGBT+ Catholics in a synodal church

Text by P. Timothy Radcliffe ops at the Conference LGBT+ Catholics in A Synodal Church: Voices From A Journey (LGBT+ Catholics in a synodal church: voices from a journey) on May 25, 2024, as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the pastoral group LGBT+ Catholics Westminster (London, Great Britain).

I'm deeply sorry I can't be with you today. I keep very happy memories of the time in which I was in charge of celebrating Mass for our LGBT+ brothers and sisters in Soho, before the celebration was entrusted to the Jesuits of Farm Street. I was asked to say something on the spot that LGBT+ Catholics occupy in a synodal church.

I am sorry that my intervention will be short, but I have just returned from a cycle of conferences in Italy and France and in a few days I will leave for Israel, where I will be with the Dominicans of Jerusalem at the École Biblique. To tell the truth, I feel rather overwhelmed by commitments.

A few days ago, the Vatican asked me to do something that, until a few years ago, would have been unthinkable. I was asked to write the preface to the English edition of a book by a young Italian, Luigi Testa, entitled The via crucis of a gay boy (Via Crucis of a gay boy).

The preface of the Italian edition, who is extraordinary, was written by an Italian bishop, vice -president of the Italian Episcopal Conference. The book tells Luigi's sufferings as a young homosexual young man as he travels the Via Crucis accompanied by Jesus. It is a deeply touching text. The book is part of a series promoted by the Vatican, dedicated to theology that comes from the suburbs. This is a sign of the profound conversion that is taking place in the heart of the Church, while it opens to those who have been marginalized and refused, affirming: “This is your home. We are incomplete without you. "

Before the Synod, Pope Francis repeatedly stressed that everyone is welcome. He also reiterated it last August, in Portugal, during the World Youth Day: “Everyone, everyone, all! - Todos, Todos, Todos! " His message included divorced and remarried people, homosexual people, transgender people. Previously, he wrote: "The Church is called to be the father's house, with the doors always wide open ... a place where there is a place for everyone, with all their difficulties, to accompany those who feel the need to resume the journey of faith."

When the Synod began, last October, many participants shared the enthusiasm of Pope Francis in reiterating that the Church is really for everyone. It should be the place where everyone can feel at home. It is this message of hope and love that, twenty -five years ago, led to the foundation of the masses for LGBT+people.

During the Synod, this message was reiterated, but a certain restlessness was also perceived. Some participants felt uncomfortable even in sitting next to Father James Martin Sj, who for years has been fighting with courage for a warm welcome of homosexual people in the church.

Someone even refused to sit next to him. Others of us also warned a certain frost. Yet, during the Synod, Pope Francis wanted to give an opening signal publicly inviting Sister Jeannine Gramick and Francis Debernardo, founders of the New Ways Ministry. I had lunch with them the next day and felt deeply encouraged.

However, in the final document of the first session of the Synod, the Synthesis, the term LGBT+ has been eliminated, despite being used in other Vatican documents and by the Pope himself. Therefore, there seemed to be a step back compared to the opening that many of us hoped. However, the Assembly voted almost unanimously this statement:

“In different ways, those who feel marginalized or excluded from the Church due to their marriage state, their identity or sexuality ask to be listened to and accompanied. A deep sense of love, mercy and compassion for those who feel injured or neglected by the Church and who want a place to call 'Casa', in which to feel safe, listened and respected, without fear of being judged, was felt in the assembly. Listening is the prerequisite for walking together in the search for God's will. " (Synthesis, 16.h)

This discussion is particularly urgent in a world where, in many countries, homosexuality is still criminalized and despised. The Synod has tried to face this challenge, but remains an open question: how can the Church be welcoming for everyone without betraying the cultures that still do not fully recognize the dignity of LGBT+people?

This tension has evidently manifested itself last December, with the publication of the document Trust Supplicans by the Dicastery for the doctrine of faith. The document grants the priests the opportunity to bless people in defined "irregular" situations, such as divorced divorceds and homosexual couples. Pope Francis stressed that we all need the blessing of God, while we try to walk in charity.

The debate on these issues is part of a complex geopolitical panorama, in which some political leaders exploit the LGBT+ issue to consolidate one's power. Russia, for example, has made the fight against the rights of LGBT people+ a part of its cultural and political propaganda, trying to contrast those who consider decadent values ​​of the West. But also in western countries there is an increase in tensions on these issues.

The Synod is faced with a double challenge: to be open to everyone and, at the same time, respect the different cultures. How can we carry on both these principles without creating divisions? It is not a question of winning an ideological battle, but of discerning how the Church can be a place where all human beings find a house and the joy of the Gospel.

One of the images that strike me most is that of San Pietro in Giovanni 21. After a night when they did not catch anything, the disciples see a man on the shore that tells them to throw the net on the other side of the boat. Following his advice, the network fills up to almost break. Pietro drags the network to the shore, and in it there are 153 fish, a symbol of all the nations of the world. The network, however, does not break.

So, how can we throw the net without breaking it? The Church is only at the beginning of this reflection, and I hope you can help us in this path. I ask you to pray so that the Synod can open our hearts and minds, challenging each of our prejudice.

* Timothy Radcliffe OP is a Dominican priest and internationally renowned Catholic theologian. He was the master of the order of preachers from 1992 to 2001. He is the author of numerous books on theology, spirituality and Christian life, and is known for his commitment in ecumenical dialogue and for his approach open to social and moral issues, including the welcome of LGBT+ people in the Catholic Church. It is currently involved in pastoral conferences and activities all over the world.

Original text: LGBT+ Catholics in A Synodal Church