Changes considered at the Vatican

There are some changes happening within the Catholic church, with a new “positive” take on gay people — as well as unmarried and divorced couples.

Monday, Catholic bishops showed an unprecedented openness to accepting the different realities of many Catholics, including those who are homosexual — a Vatican official saying the church must respect the dignity of gay people.

Church officials also went on to say that there are positive aspects to co-habitating couples and that divorced people must be welcomed. It even touched upon the issue of birth control, saying that couple’s decisions on it should be respected. The church is mid-way through a two-week long meeting of bishops which focuses on family issues and how the church should address them moving forward.

Monsignor Bruno Forte, Synod Secretary: “We must respect the dignity of every person and the fact that to be homosexual doesn’t mean that this dignity must be not recognized and promoted. It is the most important point, and also the attitude of the church to welcome persons who have homosexual orientation, based on the dignity of the person they are.”

This shift in tone comes as Pope Francis and nearly 200 bishops, cardinals, and priests released a report summarizing the closed-door debate so far. While no decisions were announced, the overall sentiment is one of acceptance, rather than condemnation, aiming to guide Catholics towards the ideal of marriage.

Bishops are also calling for streamlined annulment procedures globally. But while these are all very progressive steps for the Catholic church, it says gay marriage is still off the table. And if any changes to the church doctrine or practice were to be made, this summit is just the first part of a process that would take a year or longer to complete.