Vatican recognises the ‘pain’ experienced by LGBTQ+ Catholics in landmark report
"The personal testimonies we have gathered reveal both lacerations and longings, hope and pain," the Vatican report reads
By Aaron Sugg
The Vatican released a landmark report yesterday (5 May) that, for “the first time”, included personal testimonies from two married gay Catholics.
Acknowledging LGBTQ+ lived experiences within an official Church document, the document highlighted the “solitude, anguish, and stigma” experienced by LGBTQ+ Catholics.
Penned by a group of theologians, the report states: “The personal testimonies we have gathered reveal both lacerations and longings, hope and pain.”
“The disintegrating separation between faith and sexuality” – the Vatican recognising the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the church
The body acknowledges that “the difficulty found in the experiences we heard is the disintegrating separation between faith and sexuality.” As well as the harm caused by past approaches such as so-called conversion practices.
While the document does not alter Catholic teaching on sexuality or marriage, it calls for bridging the gap between strict doctrine and pastoral care.
It recommends listening to lived experiences, using a holistic approach to human care, and emphasising relationships and dialogue, citing God’s omnibenevolence.
“As far as I know, it’s the first time” – Rev. James Martin celebrating the Vatican report
Welcoming the report was the Rev. James Martin, founder of Outreach, an LGBTQ+ Catholic ministry. As per the Religion News Service, he said: “It’s a big deal because they included testimonies and published testimonies from two LGBTQ people, both of them married, which is also unusual for the Vatican to do.”
“As far as I know, it’s the first time that in any official publication of the Vatican, they’ve included witnesses and testimonies and stories from LGBTQ Catholics in any kind of detailed way.”
The report follows Pope Leo XIV becoming head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City in 2025, following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday last year.
What is Pope Leo XIV’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues?
During his tenure, he has seemingly adopted a more impartial approach to LGBTQ+ policies, notably supporting the Vatican’s existing position allowing informal blessings for same-sex couples, while rejecting efforts to formalise same-sex marriage.
Pope Leo has previously stated that family is based on the union of a man and a woman, and before becoming Pope made critical remarks about LGBTQ+ issues.
One notable incident in 2012 saw the Pope describe the “homosexual lifestyle” as being “at odds with the Gospel.”
Examining Pope Leo XIV’s history of LGBTQ-related statements and actions
To read about Pope Leo XIV’s history of LGBTQ+ remarks, you can visit Attitude’s roundup titled, ‘Examining Pope Leo XIV’s history of LGBTQ-related statements and actions‘.