VATICAN CITY (AP) — Conservative Catholic bishops concerned about an unprecedented opening to gays and divorcees are seeking to make their voices heard at a Vatican meeting on family life, emphasizing the benefits of faithful Catholics, the fundamentals of church doctrine and the dangers of sin.
A document produced at the halfway point of the meeting was praised by gay rights groups as a seismic shift in tone toward acceptance of gays. Tuesday's official summary of the closed-door discussions that followed said that while the document was "appreciated," bishops offered additional reflections "to bring together various points of view."
That was widely seen as a reflection of deep concern by conservative bishops over the tone of the document, which said gays had gifts to offer and their partnerships, while morally problematic, provided "precious" support.