{Catholic bishops said Tuesday that they remain fundamentally opposed to homosexual relationships, tempering the message of a landmark Vatican report calling for a more positive approach to gay believers.}
Amid signs of a conservative backlash against the reform agenda being pushed by Vatican liberals supported by Pope Francis, bishops attending a special synod on the family called for “appropriate prudence” in the signals sent to the gay community.
This was necessary, they said, “so that the impression of a positive evaluation of such a tendency on the part of the Church is not created,” according to a summary of the latest discussions released by the Vatican.
The warning shot came a day after a preliminary report on the synod’s work made waves around the world by noting that “homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community” and suggesting the Church should reach out to them.
In a move that appeared to reflect misgivings over how that message has been interpreted, the Vatican’s press office Tuesday issued a statement downplaying the significance of the mid-synod report, emphasising it was only a working paper which had been given an importance it did not merit.
Whatever its final significance, the tone of the report, with its emphasis on the need for both mercy and realism on the part of the Church, clearly reflects Francis’s own “Who am I to judge?” thinking on the issue.
But it could scarcely be further removed from official Church teaching, which maintains that same-sex relationships are “intrinsically disordered” and counsels gay believers to refrain from sexual relations.
The synod discussions are being held behind closed doors and it is difficult to assess the real extent of divisions over this and other contentious issues such as the treatment of cohabiting and divorced believers.
Vatican watchers say there is no question of basic doctrine being amended or the church embracing or even tolerating the global trend towards gay marriage.
Daily Nation
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