In a recent address at the University of Cambridge, England, Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich spoke about Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation following the 2015 synod on the family.
The National Catholic Reporter’s Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, reported on the event which had been sponsored by the university’s Von Hügel Institute for Critical Catholic Inquiry:
“Not only does the church bring the gospel to families, families contribute to the church’s understanding and proclamation of the gospel, Cupich argued in England Friday (Feb. 9). He reaches this conclusion by beginning with the church’s understanding of the family as a privileged site of God’s self-revelation.”
This new perspective reverses the traditional way in which the Church does ministry:
“If we accept that, said Cupich, ‘then no family should be considered deprived of God’s grace.’ As a result, ‘Our ministerial approach should begin with the understanding that families are not problems to solve,’ he said. ‘Rather, they are opportunities for the church to discern with the aid of the Spirit how God is active in our time and what God is calling us to do here and now.’ “
Reese provided Cupich’s further expalnation of this principle:
“In other words, the church must not just teach; it must also learn from families. All must ‘remain open to the possibility of learning from one another in seeking to understand the mystery of God together.’
What does this have to do with LGBT issues?
It does not take much imagination to see that these new principles–of listening, learning, accompanying, focusing on concrete realities–are easily applied to the way that the Catholic Church ministers with LGBT people. It is tragic, however, that the Church generally ignores these families. The tragedy is not just for the families, but for the Church, which does not get the benefit of learning about the rich, varied, and diverse experiences these families have. The Church is missing out on so much of the bounty of God’s blessings. Read more via New Ways Ministry