The Changing Tone of Catholic Bishops' Responses to Homosexuality
Last year, I reported on statements by a series of bishops which pointed a change in tone from Church authorities on responses to homoerotic love. This began almost a year ago with Cardinal Schonborn's observation that it was time to shift the emphasis from an obsession with "homosexual acts" to a consideration of the quality of our relationships. This was followed by similar statements by several others, and by explicit support by the two most senior bishops for the Soho Masses for LGBT Catholics. In recent months, other bishops have also been emphasising that sexual minorities must be made welcome in Church - the Philippine Bishops' Conference, and Cardinal Pell in Sydney. Last month, the diocese of Los Angeles ministry to gay and lesbian Catholics were given recognition and space at the important conference on religious education. In Mexico, a diocesan-sponsored conference last month went further than any previous initiative by the institutional church to promote queer inclusion in church.
The Diocese of Saltillo recently held the "Fourth Sexual Diversity, Family and Religion Forum" and now sponsors a ministry for homosexuals that promotes the ideas of providing gays and lesbians with expanded legal protections and human rights -- along with an expanded sense of dignity for individuals whose emergence from the margins of society has caused conflict for many Catholics.
