ALJAZEERA: Gay rights groups hailed a “seismic shift” by the Catholic Church toward gays on Monday after bishops said gay people had gifts to offer the church and that their partnerships, while morally problematic, provided them with “precious” support.
In a preliminary report half-way through a Vatican meeting on family life, the bishops also said the church must recognize the “positive” aspects of civil unions and even Catholics who cohabitate, with the aim of bringing them to a lifelong commitment in a church wedding.
The report summarized a closed-door debate that Pope Francis initiated to discuss a host of hot-button family issues such as marriage, divorce, homosexuality and birth control. No decisions were announced, but the tone of the report marked a dramatic shift towards acceptance rather than condemnation, and will guide discussions until a final document is issued Saturday… (more)
