AMORIS LAETITIA
A NEW APPROACH TO SEX AND GENDER ETHICS
Keywords:
Amoris Laetitia, Catholic Divorce, Catholics and LGBTQ, Catholic Sexual Ethics, Catholics and Transgender, Communion for the DivorcedAbstract
In 2016, Pope Francis issued Amoris Laetitia, following two Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015. These synods involved an unpreceded amount of consultation and publicity, and revealed rifts in the global Roman Catholic Church over communion for the divorced and remarried, as well as over greater openness toward LGBTQ persons. Attitudes toward these problems among Catholic globally are complex, but they are moving toward more acceptance in most countries. Discrimination against LGBTQ people is a reality in most cultures, even when attitudes in general are becoming more accepting. The U.S. and the Philippines here serve as examples. Though it changed no teachings, Amoris Laetitia referred the problem of communion back to “discernment” at the level of the local church. It also adopted a stance of understanding and encouragement toward Catholics who do not conform to Catholic sexual norms. Both through this document and through his personal example of listening, encouragement, discernment regarding LGBTQ persons, Pope Francis is modelling a new approach to Catholic sex and gender ethics. As he has said regarding transgender persons, “Welcome, accompany, study, discern, and integrate. This is what Jesus would do today.”
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