PORTUGAL: Gay Catholics Association To Petition Pope Francis For Change
According to the head of the Portuguese homosexual Catholics’ association Rumos Novos, gay members of the Catholic church are to ask the Vatican for an “urgent change” in attitude that will promote their acceptance and integration in local communities and parishes. Speaking to Lusa News Agency ahead of the first World Congress of Homosexual Catholics’ Associations, which takes place next week in Portimão, José Leote said there is an “urgent need for a change in attitude on behalf of the Catholic hierarchy for there to be real acceptance […] which will involve the integration [of homosexuals] in the parish communities.” This will be one of the main points in a document to be put together during the meeting, which runs in Portimão from 6 – 8 October. Representatives of other international homosexual Catholic associations will meet in Portugal over that weekend, which coincides with the Vatican’s Synod on the Family extraordinary meeting, which takes place every year between 5 and 19 October and during which the Church reflects on “the new realities of families.” In total twenty-eight associations from sixteen different countries are due to meet in the Algarve city. The get-together has been organised to “debate the role of homosexuals in today’s Church” and, according to reports, afterwards a letter will be sent to Pope Francis asking for “more inclusion and closeness.”The group's website is here.
Labels: Catholic Church, Pope Francis, Portugal, religion
