The Synod calls for a greater study on deaconesses, celibacy and does not mention LGTBIQ people

Vatican City, Oct 28 (EFE).- The final document of the Synod, the assembly of bishops and lay people meeting this month, postponed for further study, and thus be able to make proposals in the final session of October 2024, the most divisive and controversial: such as the female diaconate, celibacy or how to address the issue of welcoming people of “different sexual orientations”, since in the text it was decided not to use “LGTBIQ people”.

The document was approved by more than two-thirds of the assembly, but the points about studying the diaconate for women and being able to eliminate celibacy in some circumstances were the ones that received the most votes against.

No decisions were expected in this phase of the assembly in which issues for the future of the Church were addressed, since there remains a year of debates in the different dioceses around the world and a new meeting in October of next year, but the The feeling is that on the most controversial issues the division has continued and no agreements have been reached, which is why study time has been requested, although the door has not been closed for the moment either.

“There is a way to go, there is one year left. The Synod does not end here,” said the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech, in a press conference about the numerous questions proposed in the final text.

In the final document, all reference to the “LGTBIQ” nomenclature, which was used in the basic text for the work and which arose from the requests of the faithful from around the world, has disappeared, and it has been preferred to talk about the reception of people with various “sexual orientations.”

Since October 4, the Vatican hosted this meeting, one of the most important of the Church, to reflect on issues about its future and which was attended by 464 participants, 364 with the right to vote and for the first time lay people and among them 54 women, while two thirds were bishops, who until this Synod were the only ones who could vote.

And the presence of religious and lay women has been noted, since the section dedicated to the presence and mission of women in the Church is much more forceful, although any reference to the possibility of the priesthood has also disappeared.

And regarding “new ministries”, which women can also exercise, or the so-called female diaconate, due to divisions it has been preferred to ask “that the study be continued” and the conclusions be taken to the final session.

Among the issues that must be addressed in the future, there is expressed “the demand for greater recognition and appreciation of the contribution of women and for an increase in the pastoral responsibilities entrusted to them in all areas of life and the mission of the Church” and also ending economic discrimination and more inclusive language.

Another issue addressed, but postponed, is that of celibacy. Well, although the document highlights that “everyone appreciates its prophetic value and the testimony of identification with Christ; But some wonder if his theological adaptation to the priestly ministry must necessarily translate into a disciplinary obligation in the Latin Church, especially where ecclesial and cultural contexts make it more difficult. “

“It is not a new topic, which must be delved into,” he concludes without closing the door.

Regarding the training of seminarians, it is recommended to “deepen emotional and sexual education to support their emotional maturation.”

“In different ways, people who feel marginalized or excluded from the Church due to their marital situation, their identity and their sexuality also ask to be heard and accompanied, and for their dignity to be defended,” the text reads.

The proposal they make from the Synod is that “listening is a prerequisite for walking together in search of God’s will” and “that Christians cannot disrespect the dignity of any person.”

But, while in the initial working text reference was made to welcoming LGTBIQ people, in the final document this nomenclature disappeared at the request of some of the participants.

The document also confesses that “some issues, such as those related to gender identity and sexual orientation, the end of life, difficult marital situations and ethical issues related to artificial intelligence, are controversial not only in the society, but also in the Church, because they raise new questions.

And therefore, it is stated that “improvement and deeper study are required” and “it is important to take the necessary time for this reflection and invest our best energies in it, without giving in to simplifying judgments that hurt people and the Body.” of the church”.

Cristina Cabrejas