La risposta del Global Network of Rainbow Catholics sull ’ Esortazione Apostolica di Papa Francesco

SE LA PORTA NON E’ STATA ANCORA APERTA, FORSE LA CHIAVE E’ SOTTO LO ZERBINO? 

key under the mat

Cammini di Speranza diffonde il comunicato stampa del Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (di cui è fondatore) sull ’ Esortazione Apostolica di Papa Francesco “ Amoris Laetitia ” – La Gioia dell ’ Amore

Roma, 9 aprile 2016

La risposta di Papa Francesco ai Sinodi dei Vescovi cattolici su matrimonio e famiglia del 2014 e 2015, l’Esortazione Apostolica, “Amoris Laetitia” (La gioia dell’Amore), solleva a livello complessivo più domande che risposte per i cattolici LGBTQI, i loro genitori e famiglie.
Delusi dalla trattazione contenuta riservata alle questioni legate all’omosessualità e all’identità di genere dal documento pontificio pubblicato l’8 aprile 2016, le persone del Global Network of Rainbow Catholics apprezzano comunque il fatto che le porte dell’accoglienza, in questo anno giubilare della Misericordia, non sono state chiuse definitivamentee che Papa Francesco offra alcuni indizi su dove possa essere trovata la chiave, anche se sembrerebbe quasi verosimile che potrebbe trovarsi sotto lo zerbino!
Papa Francesco ha aperto nuove vie alla Chiesa per l’impegno pastorale con la realtà delle vitw dei suoi membri, compresi tutti i fedeli LGBTQI. Il GNRC accoglie con favore il passaggio da concezioni teologiche fuori moda, e dall’enfasi sulla dottrina e la legge, a strategie che autorizzano tutti coloro che nella Chiesa predicano di stare al fianco e imparare da coloro che sono stati in passato considerati ‘irregolari’ o perfino ‘disordinati’. Una questione chiave ora è come i principi de “La gioia dell’Amore” sul discernimento personale ed ecclesiale, sul primato della coscienza, su una pastorale rispettosa e radicata nella giustizia, e i nuovi approcci alla teologia morale possano essere applicati ai contesti LGBTQI.
L’Esortazione rafforza la priorità del rispetto della dignità umana di ogni persona, non solo nel suo rifiuto della discriminazione omofobica e transfobica ma anche di ogni forma di aggressione o di violenza nei confronti delle persone LGBTQI. Queste affermazioni generali devono però portare a un sostegno attivo e pubblico del Vaticano alla globale de-criminalizzazione, come anche alla condanna della tortura e pena di morte per motivi di orientamento sessuale e identità di genere. Il Vaticano deve essere esplicito nel suo sostegno per i diritti umani delle persone LGBTQI e il GNRC si rammarica del fatto che l’accusa infondata che l’aiuto ai paesi più poveri continui ad essere legato all’introduzione del matrimonio egualitario sia ancora parte della retorica del Vaticano.
Anche se l’accento sulla priorità pastorale è accolto con grande favore, il GNRC non può ignorare il danno continuo al benessere spirituale e personale che sono stati sinora causati dall’uso di un linguaggio teologico falso e impreciso come le locuzioni ‘intrinsecamente cattivo’ e ‘oggettivamente disordinato’. Il GNRC è quindi soddisfatto nel constatare l’assenza di questo vocabolario ne “La gioia dell’amore”; resta il fatto che queste parole abbiano favorito posizioni pregiudiziali verso le persone e le comunità LGBTQI, e contribuito anche, ai tassi più elevati rispetto alla media di bullismo, autolesionismo e suicidio tra i giovani LGBTQI.
I cattolici LGBTQI, i loro genitori e famiglie non possono continuare ad essere trattati come “problemi” che sfidano la Chiesa nella concezione più allargata, ma devono essere visti come partecipanti attivi nel dialogo a cui Papa Francesco ci chiama tutti, con doni da offrire al bene comune. Rinnoviamo, quindi, la nostra richiesta di uno strutturato, internazionale ‘processo di ascolto’ in cui la gerarchia e teologi della Chiesa possano confrontarsi con i cattolici LGBTQI, i loro genitori e i giovani, compresi i bambini delle famiglie arcobaleno, affiancati da un gruppo eterogeneo di esperti nelle scienze umane. Tale processo consentirà a tutto il popolo di Dio di sviluppare la sua visione, il suo linguaggio e il suo insegnamento sulla sessualità umana e l’identità di genere.
Una risposta più dettagliata su “La gioia dell’amore” può essere trovata sul sito del GNRC.

Il Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC) riunisce le organizzazioni e gli individui che lavorano per la cura pastorale e la giustizia per le persone lesbiche, gay, bisessuali, transgender e intersessuali (LGBTQI) e le loro famiglie. Il network lavora per l’inclusione, la dignità e l’uguaglianza di questa comunità nella Chiesa cattolica e nella società. Il GNRC è stato fondato a Roma, nel mese di ottobre 2015 durante la conferenza “Ways of Love”, con 80 partecipanti provenienti da 30 paesi. Ad oggi, il GNRC rappresenta 25 gruppi di cattolici LGBTQI cattolici, le loro famiglie e amici di tutti i continenti.

Pope Francis to church: Accept gays, divorced Catholics – CNN.com

Pope Francis put his shoulder to the doors of the Catholic Church and shoved them open a little wider Friday, calling for the church to be more tolerant in practice while not changing any official doctrines.

He urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics and other people living in what the church considers “irregular” situations.”

A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws … as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives,” Francis writes in a sweeping paper outlining his stance on family matters.

He urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules.”By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth,” he writes.

He emphasizes that “unjust discrimination” against gays and lesbians is unacceptable, downplays the idea of “living in sin” and suggests that priests should use their own discretion on whether divorced Catholics in new marriages can take Communion.

Source: Pope Francis to church: Accept gays, divorced Catholics – CNN.com

Fr. James Martin, LGBT Groups, Others React to Pope Francis’ “The Joy of Love” | Bondings 2.0

Yesterday’s release of Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on the family whose title translates as The Joy of Love, has provoked a tremendous amount of news reports and commentaries that will surely continue as this more than two-hundred page text is digested further. Today, Bondings 2.0 provides an initial round-up of reactions as they relate to LGBT issues.

Today, Bondings 2.0 provides an initial round-up of reactions as they relate to LGBT issues. You can read LGBT-related excerpts from Amoris Laetitia by clicking here.  You can read New Ways Ministry’s response by clicking here.

Source:  Bondings 2.0

Amoris Laetitia: Reaction from the Catholic community

A response to Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation the Joy of Love

Martin Pendergast, campaigner for LGBT rights in the Catholic community

“Anybody who has been involved in the synod process for the last two years has come to realise that same-sex issues were not going to be a central part of the Pope’s exhortation. That said, even though it’s pretty light treatment of same-sex issues, in paragraphs 250 and 251 there’s some key points. First of all, no condemnations, no quoting of language of “intrinsic disorder”, a nuance around the use of language like same-sex attraction, which some of us find offensive, an actual recognition of homosexual orientation, which is very significant in a document of this status.One of the key debates in the Church has been: is there such a thing as a different sexual orientation and paragraph 250 refers to people who manifest homosexual orientation. So it’s actually acknowledging that homosexual orientation exists: that’s very important.I don’t see this document to be quite as flowing or coherent as the Joy of the Gospel or Laudato Si’ and I think it shows evidence of interventions from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith to insert more conservative references to teachings from John Paul II and Pope Benedict, to sweeten the pill for more conservative Catholics.The question that many of us will have is: how are you going to apply those very important principles about conscience, internal forum, not judging people, not throwing stones at people? How are you going to apply that to people in same-sex relationships, children in same-sex families, parents of lesbian, gay or trans people? Those are the kind of questions this document throws up.Doors remain open rather than closed and those of us working to welcome LGBT people into the Church will be wanting to run with those…I think it’s encouraging us along the path.”

Source: The Tablet 

Cupich says Pope Francis’ landmark document on sex, marriage and family life ‘fresh’ and ‘striking’ – Chicago Tribune

Catholics should rely on their own consciences rather than looking exclusively to church doctrine to navigate the complexities of sex, marriage and family life, Pope Francis said Friday in a landmark document that Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich called “a game changer for the way we as a diocese are going to work with people.”

While the major church document titled “The Joy of Love” made no explicit change in church doctrine, the most controversial issue that arose was whether Francis would loosen the Vatican’s strict opposition to letting Catholics who divorce and remarry receive Communion.

While the pope didn’t explicitly endorse the “penitential path” of bringing those civilly remarried to Communion, he emphasized the need for pastors to help individual Catholics over the course of spiritual direction to ascertain what God is asking of them.

Source: Cupich says Pope Francis’ landmark document on sex, marriage and family life ‘fresh’ and ‘striking’ – Chicago Tribune

LGBT people want equality, not Pope’s compassion, says GLEN spokesman 

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network said that it is disappointed by the Pope’s document on love and the family, calling it a missed opportunity to tackle homophobia.

Pope Francis published Amoris Laetitia (or ‘The Joy of Love’) this morning, in which he repeated the Catholic Church’s teaching that gay partnerships are not the same as traditional marriage.

Kieran Rose, the co-chair of GLEN, said it was a shame that the pontiff wasn’t more inclusive.

“It was billed as something that was going to be very progressive, but basically the only progressive thing, as far as I can see, in the statement is a call for compassion for LGBT people,” he said.

“To be very honest with you, I think me and every other single LGBT person are far more interested in equality and full human rights than in somebody’s compassion.”

Source: BreakingNews.ie

Some Hope But Not Much Joy for LGBT Catholics in Pope’s ‘Joy of Love’ Document

Statement of Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director, New Ways Ministry,   in response to Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on marriage and family life.

While Pope Francis’ latest document, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), contains some hopeful passages, it does not inspire joy in LGBT Catholics and their supporters.  As far as sexual orientation and gender identity issues are concerned, the pope’s latest apostolic exhortation reiterates church formulas which show that the Vatican has yet to learn from the experiences and faith lives of so many LGBT Church members or their supporters.

Though the pope calls for church leaders and ministers to be less judgmental and to respect individuals’ consciences, he has not provided a new pastoral approach to LGBT issues or people.

On other family topics such as divorce and co-habitation, Amoris Laetitia, offers some hopeful advice—and if this advice were simply applied to LGBT issues, which would not be incompatible to do, this document would have been much more positive.  Pope Francis calls for non-judgmental pastoral care, assisting people in developing their consciences, encouraging diverse pastoral responses based on local culture, and calling church leaders to be more self-critical.  All these things, if applied to LGBT people and issues, could produce enormous positive change in the church.

Source: Bondings 2.0

Reader’s Guide Offers Hints to Tomorrow’s Much-Anticipated Apostolic Exhortation 

Tomorrow, April 8th, is the day that Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), his response to the 2014 and 2015 Vatican synods on marriage and family life will be published.

Many Catholics, especially those concerned with LGBT ministry and equality, have been eager to read what this pope, who is always full of surprises, has to say on issues of marriage, family, gender, and sexuality.

The National Catholic Reporter‘s (NCR) Joshua McElwee has provided information from a guide that the Vatican sent to the world’s bishops this week.  The guide is intended to prepare bishops for the release of Amoris Laetitia, but it also gives a tiny peek into what might be in store in Pope Francis’ much-anticipated document.The NCR article noted that the Vatican document said that “”The Pope’s concern is . . . to re-contextualize doctrine at the service of the pastoral mission of the Church,” perhaps indicating that nothing will be doctrinally novel in the text, as the Vatican has been saying for months, but perhaps there will be new directions in how to present doctrine.

The reading guide said that the document “encourages not just a ‘renewal’ but even more, a real ‘conversion’ of language.”

Source: Reader’s Guide Offers Hints to Tomorrow’s Much-Anticipated Apostolic Exhortation 

The Vatican’s report on Catholic family life – the Guardian briefing

On Friday, the Vatican will publish a papal document on Catholic family life. It follows two lengthy consultative summits of Catholic bishops in 2014 and 2015 to consider various family issues.

Pope Francis’s document is known formally as an “apostolic exhortation” and will be published under the title Amoris Laetitia – The Joy of Love.

After last October’s three-week synod to discuss the “vocation and mission of the family in the church and the modern world”, the 190 bishops who took part issued a long document for the pope to consider. The pope is now ready to sum up the two-year debate within the church and indicate a way forward.

An apostolic exhortation is a vehicle for the pope to communicate his views and encourage the church to follow them in practice, but does not change church doctrine.

Source:The Vatican’s report on Catholic family life – the Guardian briefing | News | The Guardian

Vatican guide says Francis’ family document puts doctrine ‘at service of pastoral mission’ 

A Vatican reading guide sent to Catholic bishops globally ahead of the release of Pope Francis’ widely anticipated document on family life says the pontiff wants the church to adopt a new stance of inclusion towards society and to ensure its doctrines are “at the service of the pastoral mission.”

The guide — sent by the Vatican’s office for the Synod of Bishops in preparation for Friday’s release of “Amoris Laetitia; On Love in the Family” — explains that Francis “encourages not just a ‘renewal’ but even more, a real ‘conversion’ of language.”

“The Gospel must not be merely theoretical, not detached from people’s real lives,” states the guide. “To talk about the family and to families, the challenge is not to change doctrine but to inculturate the general principles in ways that they can be understood and practiced.”

“Our language should encourage and reassure every positive step taken by every real family,” it continues.

Source:  National Catholic Reporter