Just days after organizers of the second session of the Synodality Synod in October said the issues were not the focus of discussions, two prominent participants have weighed in publicly on the issue of Catholics who identify as LGBTQ.
Dominican priest Timothy Radcliffe and Jesuit Father James Martin published personal reflections on September 19 on pastoral approaches to Catholics experiencing same-sex attraction.
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Father Radcliffe, who served as spiritual assistant at the 2023 synod assembly, has generated controversy in the past with statements about same-sex attraction. She wrote in the September 19 edition of L’Osservatore Romanothe Holy See’s newspaper, about being on “the synodal path with gay Catholics.”
The 79-year-old Dominican wrote that same-sex “desires,” like all desires, are “God-given” and need to be “educated” rather than denied. Father Radcliffe praised “mature gay Catholics” in “committed relationships.”
“The teaching of the Church is already developing as it is refreshed by lived experience: homosexual people are no longer seen only in terms of sexual acts, but as our brothers and sisters who, according to Pope Francis, can be blessed.” ”he added.
Strong opposition in the synod
Meanwhile, Father James Martin covered for America magazine on September 19 the conversations he had with Synod delegates over the past year about what he described as “LGBTQ issues.”
The controversial Jesuit, who attended the 2023 synod as a papal appointee, reported encountering strong opposition.
The priest, who founded the pro-LGBTQ group Outreach, described several objections he heard from Synod participants, including that LGBTQ ideology represents a form of neocolonialism imposed on traditional cultures.
“In the end, the best way to help those who oppose” the LGBTQ community, wrote Father Martin, “is to know them, listen to them, and come to know them as beloved children of God, that is, our brothers and sisters in Christ. ”.
Over the years, his critics have accused to Fr. Martin to reject catholic teaching about the sinfulness of homosexual acts, but he has insisted in that it does not reject the teaching of the Church.
The constant teaching of the Church on homosexuality is described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in its numbers 2357 and 2358, which affirm that although people with homosexual tendencies must be welcomed “with respect, compassion and delicacy,” homosexual acts they are “intrinsically disordered” and “cannot receive approval in any case.”
The Catechism further emphasizes, in its numeral 2359, that people who experience same-sex attraction “are called to chastity” and can approach Christian perfection through self-control, prayer, and sacramental grace.
Apostolates like Courage International offers spiritual support and companionship for Catholics seeking to live in accordance with the Church’s teaching on this topic. Courage takes a chastity-based approach, helping members grow in holiness while embracing the Church’s view of human sexuality.
The articles by Father Radcliffe and Father Martin appear as the Synod of Synodality prepares to hold its second and final session from October 2 to 27 at the Vatican.
The meeting of bishops and other participants is expected to discuss a number of issues related to the mission and internal life of the Church.
Controversial issues, such as LGBTQ issues, have been delegated to the purview of 15 think tanks, whose mandate extends beyond the October synod until June 2025.
These groups will provide an update on their work at the beginning of the synod session in October.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Anian Christoph Wimmer
Anian Christoph Wimmer, a multilingual Australian with Bavarian roots, is the editor-in-chief of CNA Deutsch. He held senior positions at Australia’s SBS and was editor-in-chief of the historic Münchner Kirchenzeitung. Graduated in Philosophy and Chinese Studies from the University of Melbourne, Anian Christoph Wimmer was on the jury for the Catholic Media Prize of the German Bishops’ Conference and was an honorary researcher in Communications at the University of Melbourne. He has served on the Board of Directors of Caritas in Munich.