The Vatican has released a milestone report that is believed to be its very first official document to contain the personal testimonies from two married LGBTQ+ Catholics. The report also acknowledges the “anguish” caused to LGBTQ+ Catholics, as well as “the devastating effects of reparative therapies”.

The report was penned by Study Group 9 of the Synod of Bishops, a group of theologians, including bishops, priests, a sister and a layperson. The Synod of Bishops was convened by Pope Francis in 2021 to make the church more listening and participatory.

In the report, released on May 5, the group stated: “The personal testimonies we have gathered reveal both lacerations and longings, hope and pain.”

The document also acknowledged the church’s role in “the solitude, anguish, and stigma that accompany persons with same-sex attractions and their families,” as well as the fact that “the difficulty found in the experiences we heard is the disintegrating separation between faith and sexuality.”

Moreover, the group also reflected on the negative impact of past approaches to so-called ‘conversion therapy‘, or “the devastating effects of reparative therapies aimed at recovering heterosexuality.”

The report contains testimonies from a married gay man in Portugal, who spoke about growing up gay in the church, and from a married gay man in the United States, who shared his experience of undergoing conversion therapy.

The document cannot directly alter Catholic teachings; however, it calls for bridging the gap between strict doctrine and pastoral care. It also recommends listening to lived experiences, using a holistic approach to human care, and emphasising relationships and dialogue, citing God’s omnibenevolence.

Reverend James Martin, who founded LGBTQ+ Catholic ministry Outreach, welcomed the report, saying: “It’s a big deal because they included testimonies and published testimonies from two LGBTQ people, both of them married, which is also unusual for the Vatican to do.”

He told Religion News Service: “As far as I know, it’s the first time that in any official publication of the Vatican, they’ve included witnesses and testimonies and stories from LGBTQ Catholics in any kind of detailed way.”

Martin also noted that this is the first time conversion practices were “critiqued that strongly” in a Vatican document. “There have been certain bishops who have been very muted in their critique of conversion therapy, but then there have also been bishops who have used organizations whose techniques really verge on conversion therapy,” he said.