Pope sees “hypocrisy” in those who criticise LGBT blessings
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis said he sees “hypocrisy” in criticism of his decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, possibly his most strongly worded defence of the move. LGBT blessings were authorised last month by a Vatican document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), but that has met with significant resistance in the Catholic […]
Catholic Synod: In Vatican summit’s closing document, agreement that synodality is church’s future
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, takes a more in-depth look at the final document from the Catholic Churches’ synod…
Vatican synod ends without clear stances on women deacons, LGBT
Vatican CityReuters A month-long Vatican meeting on the future of the Roman Catholic Church ended on Saturday without clear stands on hot-button issues such as women deacons and welcoming the LGBT community. The gathering, known as a Synod of Bishops, followed an unprecedented two-year canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics. The 365 synod participants included 300 bishops […]
Pope tells transgender person: “God loves us as we are”
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis has told a young transgender person that “God loves us as we are”, his latest outreach gesture towards the LGBT community. His comments, released by Vatican media on Tuesday, were in a podcast in which Francis listened and responded to audio messages from young people ahead of a Catholic youth festival […]
US baker fined for refusing to make transgender transition cake
Denver, Colorado, USAP A Colorado baker who won a partial victory at the US Supreme Court in 2018 for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple violated the state’s anti-discrimination law by refusing to make a birthday cake for a transgender woman, a state judge has ruled. In Tuesday’s ruling, Denver District […]
British PM pledges to exempt prayer from LGBT+ conversion therapy ban
London, UK Thomson Reuters Foundation British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said prayer for someone exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity will not be criminalised in any conversion therapy ban, as LGBT+ activists and conservative Christians clash over the issue. Johnson said that “appropriate pastoral support (including prayer)” would remain legal, in a letter […]
Brazil churches spark controversy with LGBT+ support in Lent campaign
Sao Paolo, BrazilThomson Reuters Foundation A group of major Brazilian churches came under fire for supporting LGBT+ people for the first time in an annual Lent fundraising campaign that launched on Wednesday, in which they said homophobia leads to murder. Every year the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference (CNBB) kicks off a Fraternity Campaign on Ash Wednesday, […]
Italian cardinal calls for better spiritual guidance for gays, lesbians
Vatican CityRNS Now more than ever, the Catholic Church has begun to address how to minister to members of the LGBT community, especially when it comes to spiritual guidance. Following in Pope Francis’ footsteps, an Italian archbishop invited Catholics to look at gays and lesbians “as God looks at them”. “When communities will truly begin […]
THE INTERVIEW: JEWISH MEDIATOR KENNETH FEINBERG ON WHY HE WANTS TO SAVE THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, speaks with Kenneth Feinberg who was among those mediating negotiations last year which led to a proposal to split the global denomination…
In the US, United Methodist leaders propose plan to split church over LGBTQ ordination, marriage
RNS Bishops and leaders of a number of United Methodist groups have announced a proposed agreement to split the United Methodist Church. The proposal, called the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, would create a new conservative “traditionalist” Methodist denomination that would receive $US25 million over the next four years. People attend the day of […]