The second and final session of the Synod on Synodality has concluded. And what I’ve noticed most this year is how much the way I think about LGBTQ issues has changed, and for the better. It was a surprise, especially considering what I went through last year. After the first session of the synod, I often told my friends about a time when someone said, “Father James, may I speak to you?” It usually means one of three things:
First, someone wanted to thank me for my service to LGBTQ people. “Thank you for your service,” said the Asian cardinal. “You have done a great job in my diocese.” Second, cardinals, bishops, priests, religious or lay leaders can say, “What do you do for gays and lesbians in my diocese?” Would you recommend it?” asking for advice. Finally, someone wanted to ask me a question: “Do you support the teachings of the Church or not?” (For the record, I do.)
Some of those types of exchanges have happened this year, but nothing close to the kind of controversy that galvanized specific interventions and roundtables last year when some people objected to even using the term “LGBTQ.” I didn’t feel it either. Recall that last year, there was no mention of LGBTQ services in the comprehensive report. The authors were concerned that this theme would alienate some participants and jeopardize passage of the paragraph on overall welcoming and inclusion of different groups.
This year felt very different.
Before I go any further, let me say that I don’t know the thoughts of all participants. And support for LGBTQ people remained opposed, and the final document contained only mention of it. I also don’t intend to quote anyone in plenary sessions, roundtables, or even coffee breaks, where the most important conversations take place. But I can tell you this. This year, I was surprised to find that conversations about LGBTQ Catholics are friendlier, more relaxed, and more open than ever before.
Some participants who had engaged in intense interventions last year seemed more comfortable talking about this topic now. The people who were against reaching out to LGBTQ people treated me like an old friend. And discussions about pastoral service to this community were much more harmonious. If you had told me that it would happen, I wouldn’t have thought it possible.
How did this happen? Why did this happen? Here are some reasons.
how and why things changed
First, it moved ten topics (including “controversial doctrinal, pastoral, and ethical issues”) from synodal discussions (this year focused on synodality itself) and gave them to different study groups. This meant that participants seemed much more relaxed about LGBTQ issues. Perhaps they knew they could not “defend” their position or, as one participant put it, “come in with daggers drawn.” This means it’s easier to have an open and friendly conversation about the topic. Since it was not a “debate” or “confrontation”, we were able to have a more calm discussion.
Second, my sense is that last year was a kind of “coming out” year for this topic within the church. One cardinal told me that last year was probably the first time at a meeting of the universal Church that this topic was raised so regularly and the term “LGBTQ” was used so often. So it may not have been surprising that the topic caused such an explosive response among people in areas where it is still shunned. But like any family with an LGBTQ child, once the initial shock is over, people settle down and begin to ask themselves, “How can I love my child?” Or, in the case of the church, “What does this mean for my parish, diocese, or family?”
My sense is that if last year was the year of “coming out,” this year was the year of settling. Again, this is not to suggest that all participants felt that way. Some were still quite hostile. But overall, things seemed much calmer.
Third, not using the term “LGBTQ” seems to allow people’s voices to be heard more. As I’ve written before, for many, the word remains inflammatory and connotes advocacy, lobbying, and protest groups. Although this may be unfair, the term is still viewed that way in some parts of the Church, particularly in Eastern Europe and some parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, talking about “gays and lesbians” or “sexual minorities” or “gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people” is more or less the same thing, but people hear it more easily. But still, I hear people using the term more often and more freely.
Fourth, the response to the 2023 Vatican Declaration, Fiducia Supplicans, which allows for the blessing of same-sex couples under certain circumstances, may have led people to feel that their position was already at stake. This meant that there was less need for discussion. .
Although, as all the delegates knew, this document was “received” in most parts of the Church, SECAM (Episcopal Symposium on Africa and Madagascar) declared that in effect this document would not be implemented in their own dioceses. issued a statement. . (Interestingly, several African bishops have told me that this statement does not reflect their own thinking.) But overall, the issue of same-sex blessings has also been challenged because people’s opinions , in a sense it was taken off the agenda. This facilitated conversations about LGBTQ issues.
Fifth, polygamy. This may seem surprising, but the open discussion throughout the Synod about ministering to people in polygamous relationships has led some to believe that LGBTQ Catholics should also receive the same pastoral care. I was able to understand that they were looking for an approach. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Kinshasa, who heads the commission on polygamy, said in a video message to the synod released later that people in polygamous relationships should be treated in an intimate manner and actively He said that people need to be listened to and supported without judgment. . Cardinal Ambongo said we must articulate “pastoral accompaniment” and “fraternal and respectful dialogue” with those on the “existential margins.”
Some participants said this helped them see a way forward in ministry to LGBTQ people and linked ministry to these two groups, whose lives are sometimes not fully aligned with the teachings of the church. He said that it helped him understand what was going on. So the idea was that if it could be done for polygamous people, it could be done for LGBTQ people as well.
Sixth, as incoming Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, OP, said last year, quoting St. John Paul II, “emotional collegiality precedes effective collegiality.” In other words, once you become friends, difficult conversations become easier. And that certainly proved to be true. Last year there was some wariness and even suspicion, but this year we have been much more friendly towards each other. There were jokes and laughter at almost every table. Again, it allowed for more open conversations about controversial topics.
Seventh, some transformation may have occurred. Several participants said, “I’ve been thinking about what you said last year.” Or, “I heard from many LGBTQ people in my diocese this year.” Our outreach event held at the Jesuit Curia during the synod also included cardinals, archbishops, and bishops. Dozens of delegates gathered. I’m not saying that this event caused a change in attitude, but based on the number of participants who mentioned it in the days that followed, it probably didn’t hurt.
What does this mean?
First, the final document talks about reaching out to people who feel “the pain of feeling excluded and judged because of their marital status, identity or sexuality,” a phrase echoed by synod representatives. approval was required. It was raised further this year as it was the last official document of the meeting. Therefore, there is a general consensus that the church needs to reach out to LGBTQ people, even if that term is not used. (Frankly, the inclusion of the word “identity” was a pleasant surprise to me.)
Second, over the past two years, more than 350 Catholic leaders around the world, including cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, religious men and women, and lay leaders, have raised awareness of LGBTQ people in ways never known before. You may have heard about people. Thirdly, thanks to the Synod, this topic has become more “on the agenda” for the universal Church.
This is just my opinion, so of course there is some subjectivity involved. But over the past two years in Synod Hall, overall attitudes toward LGBTQ issues seem to have changed measurably for the better. Many of them were surprising to me. But the Holy Spirit is full of surprises.
Details from the meeting:
