Vatican Criticizes Conversion Therapy, Features Gay Catholic Testimony in 'Historic' Report
The report says conversion therapies have devastating effects and urges the church to bridge doctrine and pastoral care through lived experiences.
- On Tuesday, May 5, the Vatican released a report including testimony from two married gay Catholics and acknowledging the church's role in the 'solitude, anguish, and stigma' experienced by LGBTQ+ Catholics and their families.
- The report stems from Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality, a listening initiative convened by theologians to study controversial issues; Pope Leo XIV inherited the effort after becoming head of the Catholic Church in 2025.
- Remarkably, the report includes detailed testimonies from LGBTQ+ Catholics for the first time in any official Vatican publication, featuring men from the United States and Portugal, both previously subjected to so-called 'conversion therapy.'
- Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA's executive director, said the recognition that 'top-down trying to dictate behavior and morality on the basis of dogma isn't working' was significant, while Yunuen Trujillo called it a 'historic document.'
- While the document does not alter Catholic teaching on sexuality or marriage, implementation challenges remain; Trujillo noted it might take time for LGBTQ+ Catholics to feel the impact and observed the report focuses only on lesbians, gay and bisexual people.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Vatican makes history with first official report ever to quote married gay men
The Vatican released a study group document that has surprised gay Catholics for including their voices on “controversial” subjects affecting the Church. “ It’s a big deal,” said Fr. James Martin, a founder of Outreach, an LGBTQ Catholic ministry, to the National Catholic Reporter. Related Pope opposes German bishops, says church shouldn’t bless same-sex couples The interviews were included in a report from theologians convened by the Vatican …
Synod report condemns ‘devastating effects’ of conversion therapies for homosexual persons
A Vatican synod study group’s final report includes testimony from two men in civil marriages with other men and calls for a listening-based approach to difficult doctrinal and pastoral questions. The Vatican’s General Secretariat of [...]
A Vatican report criticizes conversion therapy. It contains testimonies from two gay Catholics. Are their relationships marriages?
Vatican report admits conversion therapy caused LGBTQ+ Catholics’ profound suffering’
Just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors in an 8-1 ruling that cast doubt on similar laws nationwide, a Catholic Church report is warning that so-called “reparative therapies” have caused LGBTQ+ Catholics “profound suffering” and spiritual harmThe published document comes from theologians assembled for the late Pope Francis’ Synod of Bishops. Remarkably, it includes testimony from two Ca…
Vatican report acknowledges harm done to LGBTQ+ people, criticizes conversion therapy
The Vatican on Tuesday, May 5, released a report criticizing conversion therapy and acknowledging the church’s role in “the solitude, anguish and stigma that accompany persons with same-sex attractions and their families,” according to reports at ReligionNews.com. The Rev. James Martin, founder of the LGBTQ+ Catholic ministry Outreach, said the report is “a big deal” because it includes testimonies from two married LGBTQ+ people, which is a firs…
Vatican synodal report includes testimony of a Portuguese Catholic married to another man 20 years ago. Document proposes "change of paradigm" in the Church's relationship with homosexuals.
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