In a meeting with 200 bishops at the Vatican today, he discussed many family-related issues facing the Church in our modern age. He did not argue for a change of doctrine or taking leave of core Catholic beliefs, but he did ask for acceptance of gay, single, and unmarried people. He asked for the Church to be loving of those who are divorced, and kind to children who come from unconventional families. Our Holy Father promises that the holy institution of marriage will always remain part of our Catholic faith, but that does not mean we cannot recognize the that there are "positive aspects of civil unions and cohabitation", stepping away from the idea of condemning those who would have formally known as living in sin.The Church will still not condone gay marriage or union, said one of the bishops present, but it will "respect the dignity of every person", an idea that relies heavily on focusing on the individual, rather than just the sexual orientation.
As young Catholics, we often struggle with our Church's traditions. We are surrounded by a media that has given a face and name to various types of non-traditional families and relationships. We go to school with, live near, and befriend people who are different than us because we recognize that differences are not reason for personal condemnation, and even more importantly, we know that it is not our place to do so.
Please this week, take some time in your daily prayer to pray for more tolerance, more acceptance, and more love for those who need just a little bit more from our Church. Be their Brother or Sister in Christ, not their enemy.
Totus tuus,
LeAnn
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/world/europe/vatican-signals-more-tolerance-toward-gays-and-remarriage.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LedeSum&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
http://world.time.com/2013/09/19/pope-francis-expresses-tolerance-of-gays-support-for-women/
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