Gay Rights Groups describe Catholic synod vote as 'disappointing'

[trotsky]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1019/653333-synod/

Francis De Bernardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry, a Catholic gay rights group in the United States, said it was "very disappointing that the synod's final report did not retain the gracious welcome to lesbian and gay people that the draft of the report included".

"Instead, the bishops have taken a narrow view of pastoral care by defining it simply as opposition to marriage for same-gender couples," he said.

The final version stressed that "there is no foundation whatsoever" to compare homosexual marriage to heterosexual marriage, calling heterosexual marriage "God's plan for matrimony and the family".

I guess someone needs to just tell those groups who are fighting for human rights to just be optimistic! Progress has been made! It's a seismic shift! Or at least, that's what I've been told.

[hrmjustin]

1. Heartbreaking but not unexpected.

I hope the pope pushes harder on this.

[shenmue]

2. He did start with that first draft

And the bishops pushed him to change it.

[trotsky]

3. Did he?

Did the pope actually compose that first draft?

And hopefully you can understand some cynicism here - it's a brilliant PR move if you put forth a more "welcoming" statement (which still denies LGBTQers equality) knowing it's going to get shot down anyway.

[theHandpuppet]

7. To a certain extent

It seems to be a mind-numbing process coordinated between the bishops and the Pope and in this case, appears to have been started during the time of Benedict. If you can get through this without your brain melting out each ear, you might find the answer.

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/full-text-of-cardinal-baldisseri-s-opening-report-for-the-synod

[trotsky]

8. Ugh, maybe someone could summarize.

Don't care to slog through that mess. Someone else made a claim; I'm going to let them prove it.

[Prophet 451]

4. What can you expect from a pig but a grunt?

Yes, it's disappointing but, given who was involved, should we really have expected anything better?

[trotsky]

5. I sure didn't.

But I get the feeling from some here on DU that if we aren't praising this as some kind of incredible breakthrough and wonderful development, that we are the problem and not the bigots who run the RCC.

[rug]

6. I'd describe your reaction to the vote as gleeful.

Oops, forgot the exclamation points. You like them.

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