Bishop Terry Steib, SVD

Memphis, Tennessee’s Bishop Terry Steib, SVD, issued a pastoral letter at the end of January, in which he suggests that Pope Francis’ expected apostolic exhortation on family life may offer a new approach to some controversial issues, including LGBT ministry.  The 12-page document also offers advice for how church members can respond to new realities, and for continuing discussion and discernment in the church.

In A Compassionate Response,  Steib noted that the pope’s upcoming response to 2015’s synod on the family will most likely affirm church teaching on marriage, but may have some new pastoral directives included.  Steib wrote:

“Indications seem to point to the Church adopting a new approach which affirms the teaching about marriage and family that has been handed on to us from the ages, but with a more compassionate approach.”

Steib noted that an example of this new approach would include Francis’ recent reform of the annulment process, but that divorce was not the only controversial topic that may be discussed He described the new reality of marriage equality across the U.S. as another example

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Source:  Bondings 2.0