Immediate release: Monday, March 15th 2021

The Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research regrets the decision by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to maintain the current ban of church blessings to same-sex unions.

The justification given is that such unions are “objectively disordered” and not conducive to God’s grace, and that you cannot bless “sin”.

We are appalled that the Catholic hierarchy is choosing to demonise gay people again through its repetition of such toxic theology. Gay people worldwide are still the target of discrimination that regularly results in verbal and physical abuse, employment discrimination, firing, and death. Given the global reach of the Catholic Church, this latest decision signed off by Pope Francis himself is likely to add fuel to the fire.

The forthcoming interdisciplinary report by the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research has shown the Vatican arguments to be based on a deeply flawed theology, contrary to the evidence from relevant disciplines and the experience of many who have lived in, or witnessed, loving and life-giving same-sex unions.

The report is summarised in an “Academic Statement on the Ethics of Free and Faithful Same-Sex Relationships” (pdf here) endorsed by more than sixty high-profile academics, including a former official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith itself. The report also includes a set of recommendations to enact change. We will be sending a copy of our report to Pope Francis to aid him in his efforts to eliminate prejudice.

Contact:

Miriam Duignan: T +44 7970 926910 E miriam.duignan@wijngaardsinstitute.com

Dr. Luca Badini Confalonieri: T: + 44 7446 283699 E luca.badini@wijngaardsinstitute.com

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Immediate release: Thursday, October 22nd 2020

The Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research welcomes Pope Francis’ call for the legalization of same-sex civil unions in comments he made for a forthcoming documentary.

Such informal remarks are to be praised as a timely shift in-line with overwhelming theological evidence and a growing acceptance of the lived reality of same sex love and partnership by a majority of Catholics worldwide.

It should be noted however, that these personal comments are in direct contradiction with current Catholic teaching, according to which same-sex sexual orientation is “intrinsically disordered,” and same-sex relationships are always “intrinsically evil.”

It is this official stance that is still being preached and taught in hundreds of thousands of Catholic churches and schools worldwide with harmful consequences to non-heterosexual children and adults everywhere. Employees of Catholic institutions are still being fired simply for having entered into same-sex civil unions.

We urge Pope Francis to kick-start a process to revise current official Catholic teaching and practice so that his latest overtures towards acceptance are transformed into concrete change.

The Wijngaards Institute has assembled an panel of academic who have recently produced a ground-breaking interdisciplinary research report on the official Vatican condemnation of same-sex relationships (executive summary available here). It found the Vatican argument unsupported by, and often contrary to, the evidence from all relevant disciplines, whether biblical studies or sociology. The report also includes a set of recommendations to enact change.

We will be sending a copy of our report to Pope Francis to aid him in his efforts to eliminate prejudice.

Contact:

Miriam Duignan: T +44 7970 926910 E miriam.duignan@wijngaardsinstitute.com

Dr. Luca Badini Confalonieri: T: + 44 7446 283699 E luca.badini@wijngaardsinstitute.com

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