MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter
Kris Berggren | Oct. 7, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS The Synod of Bishops on the Family is expected to result in some changes in church teaching on the touchy topic of sexuality, says Massimo Faggioli, associate professor of theology and director of the Institute for Catholicism and Citizenship at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.
Faggioli predicts the synod may move the dial on allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to participate in Communion and on welcoming gay people and their families into the church more fully without going so far as to bless same-sex marriage. While he says not to expect any changes to the official teaching on contraception soon,* Faggioli says that Francis has already reinterpreted Humanae Vitae, so that the teaching is not a big problem for the pontificate. …
It’s important to remember that the American church is only a small percentage of the global church but can have outsized influence on the natural discourse.
One example of undue American influence, says Faggioli, is mistranslation of portions of last year’s interim synod report from Italian into English, such as where the original Italian verb said that the church should “welcome” but was changed into English as “provide for” gays.
“It’s not clear if you are in or out,” says Faggioli. “What surprised me is they thought they could get away with it. That was ridiculous.”
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