Report sparks debate over Catholic stand on gay unions

The Vatican this week moved quickly to clarify the contents of a document that was widely thought to signal the softening of the Catholic Church’s hardline position on gays and lesbians.

The document, published from initial deliberations by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops meeting convened by Pope Francis, touched on the issues of same sex unions in a manner that suggested a shift in thought within the Catholic hierarchy.

“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community: Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities? Often, they wish to encounter a church that offers them a welcoming home.

“Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?” read part of the presentation titled “Welcoming Homosexuality”.

While gay rights groups have praised the document, even in the face of a clarification from the Vatican and several dioceses around the world, conservative bishops are calling it unacceptable. The document was written by a committee hand-picked by Pope Francis.

But does the mere act of the synod discussing homosexuality signal in any way a softening of stance within the church rank on matters homosexuality?

The Pope’s representative in Kenya, Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Balvo, told The Standard on Sunday that the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the family is still in session and, hence, a final document or communiqué has not yet been published.

He also said that just like other Catholic missions around the world, Nairobi is standing by the Vatican’s official response.

“The report is a working document which summarises the interventions and debate of the first week, and is now being offered for discussion by the members of the Synod gathered in the small groups, in accordance with the regulations of the synod,” Archbishop Balvo said.

Fr David Njau of the Nairobi diocese, however, acknowledges the fact the church has been forced to address issues challenging its very existence and beliefs: “There are modern challenges facing the Church. Among them are the issues of sexuality that are affecting everything, including the family unit which for us, remains central in our teachings.”

Religion experts believe this move signals a path that the Church ought to take in the fight for its soul.

“First, the Church has never fought for what it considers saints; the battle has always been for the hearts and souls of the sinners. In order to survive, it will have to embrace everyone regardless of their personal opinions,” comparative religion don, Dr Catherine Wanyoike, says.

The current pope has been known to take a more progressive approach in comparison to his predecessors.

For instance, after speaking at the World Youth Day in Spain last year, Pope Francis was asked his views about homosexuality and said: “When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalised. The tendency (to homosexuality) is not the problem... they’re our brothers.”

Wanyoike, a former lecturer who now runs a private consultancy on religious issues, argues that changing this perception will be hard since the Catholic Church prides itself on tradition.

“This, in a nutshell, means that it would want to hang on to the things it holds dear. Among them is sexual purity — as amorphous as this sounds — and other matters such as contraception,” she says.

Lawyer Charles Kanjama, also a staunch Catholic, says the Vatican communication has been taken out of context.

“What people need to do is separate perception from reality. What is in the public domain is just a mere reflection of the pastoral inclinations of the synod, as opposed to the doctrinal teachings of Catholicism,” he says.

It could be that the synod was only acknowledging the existence of homosexuality within the society and possible ways of dealing with the issue.

“This has in no way changed the fact that homosexuality is in itself, according to the Church, a sin just like any other sin, like adultery,” Kanjama says, adding that the document was not doctrinal and, therefore, has no effect on the beliefs of the Church.

Wanyoike believes that although it might take time, some of these religious positions will have to change for the Church to survive and remain relevant in a new world.

“The change will be slow. The Catholic Church of the present is not the same as that of 100 years ago. A lot has changed in its belief system and doctrines. Over the next 100 years, too, much will change. It remains to be seen if this issue will be among the things that the Vatican re-evaluates,” she says.

Family life

Other than the issue of sexual non-conformity, the synod is also discussing matters to do with family life, including marriage, dwindling birth rates, divorce and children growing up with separated parents, and how the Church can step in to remedy these situations.

“The Church continues to grow as she announces the values of the gospel, in a form of witness that is convincing and attractive to the people of our time. In proclaiming that men and women are made in the image and likeness of God, who is love, the Church aims to defend the dignity of every human person, to promote solidarity among the peoples of the world and to work for true peace, based on the pillars of truth, justice, charity and freedom,” Archbishop Balvo said.

According to the document from the Assembly of Bishops, the most difficult test for marriage in our time is often solitude, which destroys and gives rise to a general sensation of impotence in relation to the socio-economic situation that often ends up crushing the family unit.

“This is due to growing precariousness in the workplace that is often experienced as a nightmare, or due to heavy taxation that certainly does not encourage young people to marriage,” read the deliberations from the synod on family.

The synod is also discussing cohabitation as a union and how this could auger with its doctrines.

The results of these deliberations will be formally announced to the world in a year’s time through an official communication by the Pope.

“The matters brought up in the current Synod will be the topic of discussion and reflection during the year to come. Any final conclusions will be reached and published only after the completion of next year’s General Assembly,” Archbishop Balvo said.