Holy See reiterates stance on same-sex marriage

The “Yes” result of Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum does not cut a lot of ice in the Holy See.

That much was clear at a news conference on Tuesday when the Vatican presented its instrumentum laboris or working document in view of next October's Synod of Bishops, entitled, The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world.

Previewing a Synod which carries on from the one held last October, essentially on the same themes, senior church figures forcefully repeated, albeit with different tones, that for the Catholic Church marriage remains a sacrament involving a man and a woman.

Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, a sort of speaker for the Synod, on Tuesday lamented the fact that in the contemporary world there are "manifestations of a tendency to broaden the concept of marriage, family and paternity".

Whilst the Irish referendum was not specifically mentioned, it clearly falls into the category of such a "manifestation of a tendency", especially given that the only formal Holy See comment on the referendum came from the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, who called the Irish vote a "defeat for humanity".

‘Opportune pastoral attention’

However, another speaker, Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte, spoke of the need for "an opportune pastoral attention" for families with gay members.

Asked by The Irish Times if "opportune pastoral attention" did not conflict with Catholic teaching that the practice of homosexuality is a sin, Archbishop Forte said:

“Our challenge is to understand how this [opportune pastoral attention] can be translated into church discipline and church teaching where we repeat that the church sees marriage as a matter for a man and a woman . . . but this does not stop us respecting gay people . . . And this is our pastoral challenge, namely to ensure that no one feels themselves judged and rejected but rather included and integrated . . .”

For his part, Cardinal Erdo was more brusque saying that “pastoral attention” and “recognition of gay marriage” are two different issues.

The impression remains, however, that as was evident last October, not everyone in high and holy places is on the same page on the complex matter of church teaching with regard to homosexuality.

Divorced Catholics

The news conference also touched on the ban on divorced Catholics receiving the Eucharist and on the matter of speeding up marriage annulments.

It could be that, whatever about homosexuality, next October could well see proposals that would change church teaching on the position of divorced Catholics, as well as promote faster annulments.

After that, of course, the "final document" of those proposals goes to Pope Francis who, inevitably, has the ultimate say.