Contacts: Marianne Duddy-Burke, 617-669-7810
Jeff Stone, 646-418-7039
October 18, 2014. DignityUSA is deeply disappointed in the final report out of the Synod on the family.
“The respectful language of the midterm report is gone,” said Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA’s
Executive Director. “A return to what we’ve heard for decades will dishearten LGBT people, same-sex
couples, and our families.
“What we saw through the Synod process is that there are deep divisions in what the Catholics bishops
think about LGBT people, even at the highest levels of leadership. Unfortunately, today, doctrine won
out over pastoral need. It is disappointing that those who recognized the need for a more inclusive
Church were defeated,” Duddy-Burke continued.
“However, we now know there are many bishops who believe in a more welcoming approach to LGBT
people, and that they are finally drawing closer to the majority of Catholics who strongly support LGBT
people. We anticipate that significant dialogue and debate at all levels of the Church will continue for
the year leading up to the Synod in October 2015,” said Duddy-Burke.
“In the meantime, as this just-concluded Synod has shown, the words and actions of Church leaders
matter deeply and impact LGBT people and our families every day. Whether a bishop stands against a
law criminalizing homosexuality, whether a Church employee in a same-sex marriage can keep her job,
whether an LGBT high school student is bullied—all of these things flow from what the Church teaches,”
said Duddy-Burke.
“DignityUSA remains committed to the truth that LGBT people are beloved children of God and deserve
full inclusion in our Church and society. We intend to be fully involved in discussions leading up to the
full Synod,” said Duddy-Burke.
