<p><span style=background-color: transparent;><strong>June 21 2023</strong>. DignityUSA joins many other Catholics around the world in welcoming the </span><i style=background-color: transparent;>Instrumentum Laboris </i><span style=background-color: transparent;>the recently released Vatican document that will guide the work of the Synod of the Catholic Church in October 2023 and October 2024. &nbsp;The Synod which has been enthusiastically convened by Pope Francis himself is expected to set the tone over the next several years for consideration of some of the most important and controversial issues facing the Catholic Church. The Synod has engaged in a long and wide-ranging consultation process that has sought to gather the views of Catholics from every continent country and region.&nbsp; Official representatives at the Synod will include bishops representatives of vowed religious communities (nuns priests and brothers) and lay women and men who will have voting authority for the first time.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style=background-color: transparent;></span></p><p>DignityUSA the worlds oldest organization of Catholics working for justice equality and full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in our Church and the larger society has been an active participant in the Synods consultation process. We see many things to celebrate in this document said Marianne Duddy-Burke the organizations Executive Director. The acknowledgement that the church must deal with welcoming and creating an atmosphere that respects the dignity of LGBTQIA+ people is crucial.</p><p>Duddy-Burke continued: We note that the document talks about the dignity of the baptized and the participation of all the baptized in the life of the Church.&nbsp; As those among the baptized we LGBTQIA+ Catholics take our responsibility seriously. Indeed we in Dignity have been following the path of discussion and discernment proposed in this Synod document throughout our more than 50 years of existence not only in relation to LGBTQIA+ issues but with regard to women as well. We see ourselves as a resource to the whole Church on these matters and offer ourselves as such.</p><p>In general Duddy-Burke added there is a great deal of attention to accompanying those at the margins of the Church and society to recognizing and making space for the gifts of women and the need for accountability and transparency in Church structures. These are all good things. In addition the structure of this document which poses questions for Synod participants to pray about and address asks them to bring a sense of engagement to the process. If those who are part of the deliberations demonstrate openness rather than coming already locked into certain positions we could see true progress in transforming the church.</p><p>However Duddy-Burke noted one area of concern in the <i>Instrumentum Laboris</i>. In a few places there is reference to balancing love and truth. I hope this is not coded language for unexamined and unproductive deference to existing dogma and practice. LGBTQIA+ Catholics often hear that it is the Churchs duty to speak the truth in love about our gender identity sexual orientation or relationship status. That translates into conditional approval that violates the truth of who we know ourselves to be. We are welcome if we agree to celibacy or to live in the gender incorrectly assigned at birth. For the Synod process to result in a new experience of Catholicism for LGBTQIA+ people our families and the entire community love must mean trusting that we too hold truth.&nbsp;<i>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>