Synod study group report on same-sex attraction continues to draw mixed reactions
The Vatican’s Synod of Bishops released Study Group No. 9’s final report on same‑sex attraction, sparking mixed reactions among experts. The report re‑framed controversial issues as “emerging issues” and focused on the experience of people with same‑sex attraction and non‑violence in war, but critics say it included only two testimonies and omitted other perspectives. The study group, coordinated by Cardinal Carlos Castillo Mattasoglio of Lima, was one of 14 groups convened for the 2021‑2024 Synod cycle, now in a three‑year implementation phase toward 2028. Some commentators, such as Father James McTavish, argue the report lacks synodality and contains errors, highlighting gaps in its assessment of same‑sex attraction.
2 months ago
The Vatican’s Study Group 9 released its final report on “emerging issues,” focusing on the experience of people of faith with same‑sex attraction and on non‑violent action in war. The document has sparked a range of reactions, with critics pointing to limited testimony, alleged methodological errors, and mischaracterizations of Catholic ministries, while some clergy view the report as a hopeful step toward greater listening to LGBTQ Catholics. 1
The synodal process that began in 2021 convened 14 study groups; twelve were created by Pope Francis and two, including Study Group 9, were added by Pope Leo XIV. Study Group 9’s interim report promised to address “homosexuality; conflicts and the non‑violent practice of the Gospel; and violence against women in armed conflict,” but the final version narrowed its scope to two topics: same‑sex attraction and non‑violent action in war 1.
Father James McTavish, a Verbum Dei missionary, argued that the report’s reliance on only two testimonies from men living in same‑sex relationships fails to represent the broader spectrum of LGBTQ Catholics who seek to live chastely 1.
Father Brian Gannon, director of Courage International, said the report falsely claimed the apostolate promotes “reparative therapy” and described its meetings as “secretive and hidden,” accusations he called “calumny” and contrary to the organization’s practice of encouraging holy chastity 1. Courage’s response emphasized that its meetings are confidential for pastoral reasons and that the report did not verify the claims with the group 1.
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, speaking at the Georgetown Outreach 2026 conference, called the study‑group report an “important” development that generated “great hope” for a Church that has often wounded LGBTQ believers through judgment 1.
Jesuit Father James Martin, a synod participant, praised the inclusion of the two personal testimonies as a “major step forward” in listening to LGBTQ Catholics, despite the limited sample 1.
Eve Tushnet, co‑founder of Building Catholic Futures, acknowledged the report’s narrow representation but stressed the importance of hearing personal stories to discern pastoral needs and shape future ministry 1.
Father McTavish also urged the Church to balance moral clarity with pastoral care, avoid dehumanizing language, and encourage deeper relationships with Christ rather than simply “coming out” 1.
The synod’s implementation phase will continue for three years, culminating in 2028, giving the Church time to reflect on the report’s findings, address the criticisms, and develop concrete pastoral guidelines for people with same‑sex attraction 1.
Does the Catholic Church’s doctrine allow pastoral care for same‑sex attraction?
Yes. Catholic doctrine both permits and requires pastoral care for people who experience same-sex attraction, while also not approving sexual acts between persons of the same sex and while maintaining that everyone is called to live chastely.
The Catechism makes an important distinction: it teaches that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered” and “under no circumstances can they be approved,” because they are “contrary to the natural law” and “close the sexual act to the gift of life.”
At the same time, the Catechism teaches a pastoral attitude toward the person: those with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” are not to be rejected; they “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” and “every sign of unjust discrimination… should be avoided.”
So the doctrine supports pastoral care that is realistic about moral standards (there is a moral disorder in the acts) and faithful to human dignity (the person is to be treated with charity).
Pastoral care in Catholic doctrine is not merely “listening” or “affirmation”; it is ordered toward the person’s salvation and growth in virtue.
The Catechism explicitly states: “Homosexual persons are called to chastity.” It adds that through “self-mastery,” sometimes “the support of disinterested friendship,” “prayer and sacramental grace,” they can “gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”
This means pastoral care is aimed at helping a person understand God’s will and live it—especially through prayer, the sacramental life, and virtuous living.
Pope Francis reiterates the same two poles—dignity and guidance toward God’s will. He teaches that “every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration,” while avoiding “every sign of unjust discrimination,” including “any form of aggression and violence.”
He then adds that “Such families should be given respectful pastoral guidance, so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives.”
So, yes—pastoral care is explicitly part of the Church’s responsibility, but it is oriented to helping people live God’s will.
While the Church provides pastoral care, it simultaneously rejects attempts to equate same-sex unions with marriage.
Pope Francis quotes the Synod: there are “absolutely no grounds” for considering homosexual unions “in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
And the Church’s doctrinal position remains “firm” that marriage is the “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman,” and that rites/prayers resembling a liturgical rite are inadmissible when they could create confusion about marriage or offer moral legitimacy to unions contrary to perennial teaching.
In other words: the Church can pastorally accompany persons without liturgically or morally endorsing what the Church judges to be contrary to its doctrine on sexuality and marriage.
The Church also recognizes that pastoral strategy must be prudent in different legal and cultural contexts. A 2024 Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith press release explains that in countries where laws condemn homosexuality “with prison and… torture and even death,” it would be “imprudent” to bless in certain ways, emphasizing that bishops must not support “a doctrine different from” the Church’s perennial teaching, but can still recommend the need for “study and discernment” for pastoral prudence and the defense of human dignity.
This supports the broader point: pastoral care is not one-size-fits-all; it must be charitable and protective, not reckless or confusing.
Taken together, the sources support a Catholic understanding of pastoral care that typically includes:
Catholic doctrine allows and urges pastoral care for same-sex attraction: the Church teaches that people with such tendencies should be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity, helped to live chastely, and supported—while the Church maintains that homosexual acts cannot be approved and that pastoral practice must not confuse or equate same-sex unions with marriage.