Cardinal Tobin: Controversial issues, removed from the official agenda, continue to be discussed in the Synod

American Cardinal Joseph William Tobin stated that, although LGBT issues are not included in the official agenda of this latest session of the Synodality Synod, “it does not mean that people are not talking about them.”

It should be noted that controversial issues have been delegated to the competence of 15 study groups, whose mandate extends beyond the Synod this October until June 2025.

During a briefing at the Holy See Press Office on October 11, the cardinal responded to a question about the reception of LGBTQ people in the Catholic Church and how the approach has changed compared to last year’s session. .

The cardinal responded that “the pastoral concerns” surrounding these people “are not clearly evident” in the debates of this second session of the Synod “as some would like.” However, he specified that “this does not mean that people are not talking about it.”

“I think people are aware of a number of things, of the particular challenges and obligations that the LGBT community demands of us,” he commented.

Likewise, he stated that work must continue “so as not to presume that any country has absolute clarity about this type of response.”

He then referred to one of the reflections of Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, future cardinal and spiritual assistant at the synodal assembly that has generated controversy in the past with statements about same-sex attraction.

The cardinal recalled the encounter that Jesus had with a woman (Mateo 15:27) and emphasized that “first Jesus ignores her, apparently, and gives her a response that seems harsh.” However, then “she explains her situation” and Jesus’ response changes.

For Cardinal Tobin, this represents “a paradigm” of how LGBTQ people should feel within the Church. Taking Father Radcliffe’s words as an example, he emphasized that these types of people must remain within the ecclesial community since the Church’s response could soften, just as Jesus did with the woman in the Scriptures.

For his part, Bishop Shane Anthony Mackinlay, designated as one of the drafters of the final document of the Synod, specified that the Instrument of Labor Yes, “it includes the marginalized and those who feel excluded,” among whom the prelate cited LGBT people and those with an irregular marriage.

The Australian Archbishop also defined the declaration Begging for confidence approved by Pope Francis as “a step forward” in this regard.

According to Bishop Mackinlay, the declaration that allows Catholic priests to bless couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples in a “pastoral” and non-ritualized way, was a response by Pope Francis to the issues that “were already present in the discussions and in last year’s synthesis report.”