Opinion A big shift

In what has been deemed a “pastoral earthquake” by prominent Vatican observers, the Catholic Church — an institution not known for its nimble response to societal change — has issued a document saying that homosexuals should be welcomed into the church. At a synod convened by the pope to discuss the state of the family in the modern world, cardinals and bishops appear to have adopted a starkly different tone from the traditional Catholic line on homosexuality, which it has in the past regarded as “intrinsically disordered”. The report acknowledges that “Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community”, and asks, “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities… Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?”

The document is being deemed a victory for Pope Francis in his project to bring the Catholic Church in line with his personal vision on gay rights. He, of course, is the first pontiff to use the word “gay” in public, who famously told journalists last year, “If someone is gay and he searches for the lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” This does not mark a shift in doctrine — elsewhere, marriage is still described as occurring between a man and a woman. But as with other issues confronted by the church during the Francis papacy, it signals a significantly more forward-looking approach.

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In this context, the question must be asked: When even as orthodox and conservative an organisation as the Roman Catholic Church can review its position on homosexuality to strike a decidedly more inclusive tone, why does the Indian state continue to abdicate its responsibility towards its gay citizens by denying them even the right to openly exist?