Frank Testin was hopeful when he heard Pope Francis would allow priests to bless same-gender couples. He thought it was a small step toward LGBTQ+ acceptance in the Roman Catholic Church.

Then he read what the Vatican actually said.

B次元官网网址淚t mentions that the union LGBT people have with their partners cannot be compared in any way to a marriage. I find that really objectionable,B次元官网网址� said Testin, 73, who married his husband 13 years ago.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a real blow to the stomach.B次元官网网址�

While some are indeed welcoming MondayB次元官网网址檚 doctrinal declaration as a sign of progress, other Canadian Catholics see the document as cementing the churchB次元官网网址檚 existing position: that romantic relationships between people of the same gender are lesser than those of their heterosexual counterparts.

B次元官网网址淚t says some judgmental, stern and not very loving comments towards its LGBTQ members B次元官网网址� church members who are or want to be in relationships,B次元官网网址� said Testin, a Toronto resident who was raised Catholic and still attends a monthly mass.

The document from the VaticanB次元官网网址檚 doctrine office reaffirms the position that a marriage is between a man and a woman, but says priests can, under some circumstances, bless B次元官网网址渃ouples in irregular situationsB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渃ouples of the same sex.B次元官网网址�

The document stresses that the blessings cannot in any way resemble the sacrament of marriage: they canB次元官网网址檛 use set rituals or even involve the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding. It should be spontaneous, the document says, and should not happen during or even B次元官网网址渋n connectionB次元官网网址� with the ceremonies of a civil union.

For Testin, this is disappointing. It feels insignificant.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 almost like sitting down with a priest who you met on the street and you decide to have lunch with,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou ask the priest to bless the food.B次元官网网址�

For 40 years Testin has been part of Dignity Canada Dignit茅, an organization of Catholics advocating for the Church to update its stance on sexual minorities, and he now serves as its president.

There is a gap, Testin said, between the churchB次元官网网址檚 positions and the lived experiences of practising and lapsed Catholics, and the Vatican should work to fill that gap.

For some, thislateststatement is evidence that the Vatican is doing just that.

B次元官网网址淭his move by the Pope, rather than pushing those people within the community to the margins of the Catholic Church, it really is an invitation to bring people in,B次元官网网址� said John Jacob, who serves as secretary for an LGBTQ-friendly ministry and is queer.

B次元官网网址淚t is certainly a significant step to meet LGBT Catholics where they are.B次元官网网址�

While itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to say how big the LGBTQ+ Catholic population is, Jacob said anywhere between 50 and 100 people come to All Inclusive MinistriesB次元官网网址� monthly mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Toronto.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to estimate what that looks like nationally, but itB次元官网网址檚 not an insignificant number by any means who would be impacted by this movement by the Vatican and by the Pope,B次元官网网址� he said.

The PopeB次元官网网址檚 new position comes amid a reported rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hate. In 2018, there were 186 alleged hate crimes related to sexual orientation reported to Canadian police, according to Statistics Canada. In 2022, the last year with available data, there were 491.

Jacob said he hopes people see the doctrinal declaration as an invitation.

B次元官网网址淚 would hope that the news by the Vatican, for LGBT people, is a beacon of hope insofar as they are ultimately being heard,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e being seen, theyB次元官网网址檙e being acknowledged, but also being communicated to by the Pope that they are in fact welcome.B次元官网网址�

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