The meeting, facilitated by Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, centred on the personal testimonies of five individuals about their experiences as transgender and intersex Catholics.

One of the participants, Michael Sennett, a transgender man, shared his experience of being rejected by a priest at the age of eight for requesting to wear a suit instead of a dress during his First Communion.

"I cried because I was convinced God hated me" Sennett said. He spoke of his attempted suicide at 17 and how the support of a Catholic nurse helped him see a path forward in his faith and identity.

Another testimony came from Nicole Santamaria, an intersex woman from El Salvador, who highlighted the invisibility of intersex people, even within the LGBTQ+ community.

Santamaria's own experience of intersexuality and her Catholic faith informs her work with marginalised communities. She believes she is called to serve those often overlooked and misunderstood.

Although academic studies are disputed, it is estimated that about 1.7% of babies are born intersex.

More harm than good

Ray Dever, a retired Catholic deacon and father of a transgender woman, spoke about the struggles faced by transgender Catholics.

Dever said he noticed a "stunning lack of compassion within so much of the church for transgender people". This included people being excluded from the life of the church in many dioceses and parishes. They were also denied sacraments and turned away from Catholic schools.

"It pains me to say this but, right now, I think that we as a church are doing more harm than good in our approach to gender theory and transgender individuals" Dever told the Pope.

While Pope Francis has criticised gender theory, calling it an "ugly ideology" that erases differences, he has also condemned the mistreatment of LGBTQ+ people.

Earlier this year, the Vatican published Dignitas Infinita ("Infinite Dignity") which denounces discrimination based on sexual orientation and warns against gender theory and sex-change intervention.

Sources

America Magazine

CathNews New Zealand

President Higgins (pictured with Pope Francis) expressed these sentiments after a private audience with the pontiff in the Vatican's library.

"He faces grave difficulties in the institution of which (he) is head. I get a sense of that nearly every time I meet him. But his heart is in the right place" President Higgins told reporters.

Pope Francis is "reaching out to people in the LGBT community" and "those who feel that they haven't been labelled as Catholics" Mr Higgins continued.

Despite these challenges, the President commended the Pope for having a compassionate approach to addressing these issues.

"His heart is open, and he refers to that very often."

Signals of reform

The meeting came as the Vatican held a synod assembly about the church's future that is being closely watched for signals of reform.

Higgins stressed the importance of the ongoing synod and its potential outcomes. He advocated for a thoughtful consideration of the roles of both male and female believers in a changing Church.

President Higgins observed that the Pope is facing a challenging internal battle within the Church to guide it towards reform. However, there seems to be an opportunity for transformation.

The Irish President also highlighted that Pope Francis has reintroduced individuals into the discourse who were previously excluded for far too long. Many people within the Church have been profoundly affected by these exclusions and their voices deserve to be heard.

"Look at the people he has allowed back into the discussion" he continued.

"There are people who have been excluded from the discourse that should have been long, long back and there are people who've been deeply wounded by this."

Sources

The Irish Times

CathNews New Zealand

The crowd waved rainbow flags and according to media reports, sang "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles.

The mid-September rites included Catholic priests reciting blessings for same-sex and heterosexual couples and, though held outside of Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki's cathedral, represented a bold ecclesiastical affront to the city's conservative archbishop.

Are these rites "weddings"?

That was a crucial issue raised by five cardinals in "dubia" (Latin for "doubts") questions sent to Pope Francis weeks before the Vatican's global "Synod on Synodality," which opened last week.

The five cardinals requested "yes" or "no" answers.

Instead, the pope offered a detailed analysis in which he restated established Catholic doctrines, noting that "the reality that we call marriage has a unique essential constitution that demands an exclusive name."

Thus, the Church should avoid rites giving the "impression that something that is not marriage is recognised as marriage".

Nevertheless, Pope Francis - writing in July - urged "pastoral charity" in this issue.

Thus, the "defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity, which is also made up of kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement.

Therefore, we cannot become judges who only deny, reject, exclude.

"For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing … that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage.

"For when a blessing is requested, one is expressing a request for help from God, a plea for a better life, a trust in a Father who can help us to live better."

This drew praise from Francis DeBernardo, leader of the New Ways Ministry for Catholics seeking changes in centuries of Christian doctrine on sexuality.

"The allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples implies that the Church does indeed recognise that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God," he wrote.

The Pope's declaration represents "an enormous advance. … This statement is one big straw towards breaking the camel's back of the marginalised treatment LGBTQ+ people experience in the Church."

The Vatican's release of these "dubia" documents underlined the importance of the historic global synod - which will address issues in Church life including the ordination of women, the status of LGBTQ+ believers, clerical celibacy and changes for divorced Catholics seeking Holy Communion.

A strategic leader is Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, who until recently led the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union and was the Pope's choice as "relator general" for the synod, shaping official documents produced before and after the two-year process.

In a 2022 interview with the Catholic news agency KDA, he said Catholic teachings on "homosexual relationships as sinful are wrong...

"I believe that the sociological and scientific foundation of this doctrine is no longer correct.

"It is time for a fundamental revision of Church teaching, and the way in which Pope Francis has spoken of homosexuality could lead to a change in doctrine."

That kind of shift would shake centuries of doctrine, noted the "dubia" authors - American Cardinal Raymond Burke, German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, Mexican Cardinal Sandoval Íñiguez, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah and Cardinal Joseph Zen, former Bishop of Hong Kong.

Thus, they asked: "Is it possible for the Church today to teach doctrines contrary to those she has previously taught in matters of faith and morals, whether by the Pope ex cathedra, or in the definitions of an Ecumenical Council, or in the ordinary universal magisterium" of bishops around the world?

Pope Francis discussed development in doctrines, and claims of absolute truth, during recent remarks in Lisbon, according to a transcript from the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica.

He criticised Catholics guilty of "backwardness," including Americans who let "ideologies replace faith" and cause divisions among Catholics.

"I would like to remind those people that indietrismo (being backward-looking) is useless and we need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals," he said.

Thus, it's important to accept that "our understanding of the human person changes with time, and our consciousness also deepens.

"The other sciences and their evolution also help the Church in this growth in understanding. The view of Church doctrine as monolithic is erroneous."

• Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
• First published in Religion Unplugged. Republished with permission.

Meanwhile, a protester yelled into his megaphone from the edge of the parking lot. "Has anyone checked the weather today? Cause it might rain fire and brimstone on this church and burn every homo inside!"

Columnist Karen Attiah thinks "places of worship are important centres of resistance. They are political, legal and spiritual testing grounds where people can and likely will confront one another over the spiritual direction of this country. Read more

Earlier that same day, Pope Francis spoke at three different venues, telling the half a million WYD pilgrims that the Church must be a home for everyone.

Despite the Pope's clear directives in this respect, it seems not everyone took his words to heart.

The protest

When the two dozen Catholics gathered for Mass, the protest group began to chant "a reparatory prayer" in an effort to disrupt the prayers.

Noted British theologian and openly gay priest Fr James Alison was one of three concelebrants of the Mass.

He says the 12 protesters, who wore long mantillas and held crucifixes, increasingly raised their voices in an effort to drown out the priests and congregants during Mass.

Police, who were aware of a potential disturbance, quickly escorted the protesters out of the church. The Mass continued without further incident.

Alison says the interruption highlights the challenges LGBTQ Catholics face in trying to practise their faith.

Building the roadblocks

Roadblocks to prevent the Mass began several days earlier.

The Global Network of Rainbow Catholics and a local Portuguese LGBTQ Catholic group organising the Mass had to find a new venue hurriedly. That was because their original hosts had become anxious after calls for protests began to circulate online.

Alison says a the protesters were motivated mainly to disrupt the Mass because they mistakenly believed Jesuit Fr James Martin would concelebrate it.

Martin — a prominent LGBTQ Catholic advocate — had been in Portugal for Jesuit-related events ahead of World Youth Day. However, he had already left the country before the Mass.

Pope's message

Alison says he has no ill will toward the ultra-traditionalist protesters. They're not to blame for their views.

"I was terribly sorry to see these people who have been led to this terrible ideology of hatred. They live in a weird, alienated world and did not look happy. We were principally sad for them.

"I don't blame them. I blame the intellectual authors who seem to bear the responsibility for this."

Alison says the Mass for LGBTQ pilgrims was "clearly in line with the Holy Father's message."

This message repeatedly emphasises that everyone has a home in the Catholic Church.

Since the start of his pontificate in 2013, Francis has walked a tightrope on LGBTQ issues.

He continues to uphold traditional church teaching, which prohibit gay relationships. At the same time, he repeatedly offers calls for everyone to be welcomed in the church. He has personally befriended a number of openly gay Catholics.

On 4 August, the Spanish Catholic news weekly Vida Nueva published an interview with Francis. In this, Francis reflects on his meetings with transgender people.

"The first time a group of transsexuals came to the Vatican and they saw me, they came out crying, saying that I had given them a hand, a kiss … as if I had done something exceptional with them," the magazine reports.

"But they are daughters of God!"

Source

• NCR Online

The Pope's compassionate remarks were unveiled through Vatican media on Tuesday, following a podcast where Francis engaged with young people through audio messages in preparation for World Youth Day (WYD) in Portugal.

Among the voices heard was Giona, a young Italian in their early twenties who expressed the inner conflict arising from their Catholic faith and transgender identity.

Responding to Giona's sincere message, Pope Francis conveyed a message of acceptance and divine love. He assured Giona that the Lord always walks alongside them regardless of their perceived shortcomings or struggles, offering support and compassion.

"The Lord loves us as we are, this is God's crazy love," Pope Francis affirmed.

The Catholic Church has long advocated for treating members of the LGBT community with respect, compassion and sensitivity while upholding their human rights.

However, the question of whether the Church should adopt a more inclusive stance, such as offering blessings for same-sex unions, remains a deeply sensitive and debated topic.

"Who am I to judge?"

Pope Francis has garnered attention for his welcoming and non-judgmental approach towards the LGBT community. He famously stated "Who am I to judge" when questioned about homosexuality, condemning the criminalisation of LGBT individuals as a sin and injustice.

Simultaneously, the 86-year-old pontiff has upheld the traditional Catholic teaching that views marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman. Nevertheless, he supports civil laws that grant same-sex couples rights in areas such as pensions and healthcare.

While Pope Francis' inclusive stance has resonated positively with many, it has also faced resistance from conservative factions within the Church. Nonetheless, the Pope consistently adheres to traditional Catholic teachings, maintaining that same-sex attraction is not sinful but that same-sex acts are.

A world summit of bishops, scheduled for October this year, is expected to delve into discussions surrounding the Church's approach to LGBT individuals, women and divorced Catholics who have remarried outside the Church.

Sources

Reuters

CathNews New Zealand

The document, called Instrumentum Laboris (Latin for "working document"), is based on the input gathered from a two-year worldwide global synod, where Catholics were invited to share their vision for the church's future.

The comprehensive document covers a wide range of topics, including granting decision-making power to women and exploring the possibility of allowing their ordination.

It also addresses the prospect of allowing married men to become priests in remote areas.

With 33 pages of thought-provoking questions, the Vatican seeks to facilitate meaningful discussions on important issues.

One of the questions asks how the church can create safe spaces where individuals who have felt marginalised or unwelcome can find acceptance, ask questions freely and not face judgment.

The Vatican document also delves into matters concerning LGBTQ+ individuals and others who may feel excluded from the church due to their status or sexuality.

It also poses the question of what concrete steps can be taken to foster a more inclusive environment for remarried divorcees, those in polygamous marriages and LGBTQ+ people.

"Who am I to judge"

This progressive approach is evidenced by the document's use of the term "LGBTQ+ persons," which signifies a departure from the traditional terminology of "persons with homosexual tendencies."

This shift in language reflects Pope Francis' remark from a decade ago: "Who am I to judge?"

An upcoming assembly in October, which will be attended by bishops and laypeople, will build upon the groundwork laid by the Instrumentum Laboris.

It will serve as a platform for reflecting and discussing the church's future.

Notably, Pope Francis' decision in April to allow women delegates to vote at the assembly represents a significant reform.

In addition, the Vatican is considering including women as department heads within the Holy See's central administration through a new constitution.

The document also highlights the need to renew and reform the church's procedures, institutional arrangements and structures to enable greater recognition and participation of women, including in governance and decision-making processes.

The role of women as deacons is a significant consideration within this context.

At the conclusion of the synod, Pope Francis will pen an Apostolic Exhortation, an official document that will articulate his views and recommendations.

The series of questions presented in the Instrumentum Laboris will guide the discussions during the assembly, with delegates from both the clergy and the laity participating in round table conversations.

Sources

US News

CathNews New Zealand