LGBT+ FOCUS GROUP - Report for Diocese of Elphin (Bishop Kevin Doran)

(1) An Apology.

 That the Catholic hierarchical church apologises (from the top down; Pope, cardinals, bishops and priests) to LGBT+ people and their families for the harm, damage and pain they have caused them. This would go some way to helping LGBT+people feel respected.

(2) Access to All Sacraments for LGBT+ people and all women.

That LGBT+ people be given access to all seven sacraments, including marriage (and including holy orders for all women i.e. LGBTI+ and heterosexual)

(3) Change the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

That the church reviews its teaching on homosexuality to reflect modern scientific, psychological and sociological research and the lived experience and relationships of people.

(4) Remove Offensive Language.

That the church abandons the language of “Intrinsically evil” and “objectively disordered” when referring to LGBT+ people and deletes these insulting words from its catechism and all official documents. There are no theologically valid reasons to justify the use of such language or any language that diminishes a person’s humanity, especially when it is so harmful to the mental health of younger LGBT+ people.

(5) Address the hypocrisy of the clerical Church on LGBT+ issues

That the church addresses the hypocrisy of the clerical church on LGBT+ issues as outlined in Theme 3.

(6) Ordain women as priests and ensure their full equality in the Church.

That the church moves to end the second class status of Catholic women and commits to affirming their full equality in the church. Misogyny is recognised as a root cause and driver of homophobia. Until the day that women are accorded full and equal status with men in the church, homophobia will remain a toxic force within it.

(7) Conduct gender-bias audits throughout the institutional church

That the church conducts gender-bias audits in dioceses across the world, including the Diocese of Elphin, to see how ecclesial communities compare with best practice and international standards.

(8) Establish a Dicastery for Diversity and Inclusion in the Vatican.

That the Catholic Church becomes a more healing presence in the world by living up to its ‘catholicity’ (i.e. universality/inclusiveness/wholeness) and evolves into a global leader of diversity whose structures, systems and processes are open and respectful to the full spectrum of humanity, in all its glorious multiplicity.

(9) Support and endorse the ‘Safeguarding Principles’ ratified by the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+Lives in March 2022.

That the Catholic Church takes immediate action to make itself a safe place for LGBT+ people by endorsing the Global Interfaith Commission’s ‘Safe- 6 guarding Principles’ for LGBT+Lives. (See appendix)

 (10) Draw up a set of “Safeguarding Principles” to protect children of LGBT+ Parents who attend Catholic Schools.

That the Catholic Church, as the single biggest provider of education in the country, charged with the care of young people from a range of backgrounds, draws up a set of safe-guarding guidelines on sex education that is respectful to children of same-sex unions and also to all children whatever their emerging sexuality



The full report of the LGBT+ Focus Group is available on the website of the Diocese of Elphin at:  https://www.elphindiocese.ie/.../LGBT-Focus-Group-Report.pdf