LGBTQ+ Catholics are creating more welcoming spaces inside Italy’s churches
Almost 200 Catholic pastoral workers and 10 bishops have gathered in Rome as Italian churches develop more welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ Catholics.
A significant shift is taking place inside parts of the Catholic Church in Italy, where almost 200 pastoral workers and 10 bishops have gathered for the country’s first national conference dedicated specifically to working with LGBTQ+ people and their families.
The meeting took place in Rome on 4 September, but new details published this week reveal how some Italian dioceses are already trying to make LGBTQ+ Catholics feel more welcome within everyday church life.
Rather than discussing LGBTQ+ people only from a theological perspective, the conference focused heavily on what churches are already doing in practice.
LGBTQ+ inclusion is already happening in some Italian churches
Representatives from the dioceses of Florence, Bari-Bitonto, Cremona and Chiavari shared examples of their work with LGBTQ+ Catholics and their families.
In these dioceses, LGBTQ+ pastoral work is becoming part of ordinary church activity rather than something entirely separate. This includes educating priests and other pastoral workers and developing ways for LGBTQ+ people to participate more fully in Catholic communities.
Some of Italy’s largest Catholic organisations were involved too, including Italian Catholic Action, the country’s Catholic Scout organisation and the Focolare Movement.
The Scout organisation has recently adopted a national document stating that sexual orientation and gender identity should not be grounds for excluding someone from an educational role.
An Italian bishop says meeting LGBTQ+ people changed him
One of the most personal contributions came from Bishop Francesco Savino, Vice President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.
Francesco spoke about how meeting LGBTQ+ Catholics had changed his own approach to pastoral work. He argued that the Church needs to restore dignity to LGBTQ+ people and pay greater attention to LGBTQ+ priests who may experience fear and isolation.
There are signs the work could now become more organised nationally. Bishop Giampaolo Dianin, who is responsible for LGBTQ+ pastoral ministry within the Italian Bishops’ Conference, is expected to chair a working group developing guidelines for this area of church life.
The gathering also follows last year’s major Jubilee pilgrimage of LGBTQ+ Catholics to St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
For LGBTQ+ people who remain Catholic, developments like these show how communities within the Church are trying to create spaces where their faith and LGBTQ+ identity do not have to exist separately.
