Lori's policy is emphasising the need for a compassionate and understanding approach based on Church teaching and revelation.

The archbishop released the 14-page document "Like Every Disciple" in the form of a personal letter.

The letter seeks to offer support and genuine accompaniment to individuals who identify as LGBT or gender nonconforming.

In the introduction to the guidance, Lori highlighted that every disciple is called to a lifelong journey of turning towards the Lord and deepening their relationship with Him.

Lori is stressing the significance of baptism, which marks individuals as beloved sons and daughters of God, forming their truest identity.

Increased LGBT awareness in the Church

The archbishop acknowledged the increased awareness within the Church regarding the experiences of individuals with same-sex attraction or gender discordance, commonly identified as LGBT.

Archbishop Lori emphasised that these individuals, like all human beings, are children of God and members of the Body of Christ, deserving of love and pastoral care.

Lori's guidance emphasises that LGBT ministry should prioritise pastoral accompaniment rather than advocating for changes to Church teaching.

The focus is on fostering a relationship with Christ while upholding the liberating truth about the human person as revealed through Jesus Christ.

The archbishop recognised the polarised discourse surrounding Catholicism and LGBT identities and urged for a different approach.

The main questions he posed were how to offer pastoral accompaniment while remaining faithful to Church teaching on human sexuality and how such accompaniment can lead individuals to a deeper relationship with Christ and the Church.

Six essential characteristics

Lori's guidance focuses on six different "essential characteristics of pastoral accompaniment." These are:

• recognising the reality of our need
• showing compassion, respect and sensitivity
• journeying together in light of our calling
• having a different kind of conversation
• living "rooted in the Church"
• a willingness to "make the long journey"

LGBT Catholics and their allies have given the guidelines mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the guidelines as a step in the right direction while others have criticised them as being too restrictive.

Archbishop Lori writes that the guidelines are "not intended to be a comprehensive manual for LGBT ministry" but rather "a starting point for conversation and reflection." He hopes the guidelines will help "form Christian disciples" among LGBT people and their families.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Outreach

Lori was responding to assertions made by Martin Castro, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

"Statements painting those who support religious freedom with the broad brush of bigotry are reckless and reveal a profound disregard for the religious foundations of his own work," said Lori in a Sept. 13 statement.

Lori, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, said the notion that people of faith are "comparable to fringe segregationists from the civil rights era" is a "shocking suggestion."

Castro made the statements as part of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' 306-page report, "Peaceful Coexistence: Reconciling Nondiscrimination Principles With Civil Liberties."

Originally scheduled for issuance in 2013, its release was delayed until Sept. 8 - and even then, two on the seven-member commission dissented from its findings.

In his statement, Castro said, "The phrases ‘religious liberty' and ‘religious freedom' will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance."

Elsewhere in his statement, Castro said, "Religious liberty was never intended to give one religion dominion over other religions, or a veto power over the civil rights and civil liberties of others.

"However, today, as in the past, religion is being used as both a weapon and a shield by those seeking to deny others equality."

It was those two claims with which Lori took greatest issue in his own statement, which never mentioned Castro by name.

"People of faith have often been the ones to carry the full promise of America to the most forgotten peripheries when other segments of society judged it too costly.

"Men and women of faith were many in number during the most powerful marches of the civil rights era," he said.

Source

• Crux
• Image: religionnews.com