RCC bishop speaks out in support of 'Gay Boy’s Way of the Cross' book
The Vice President of the Italian Bishops' Conference believes that the Church should be inclusive.
Catholic Bishop Francesco Savino has praised the book "Via Crucis di un ragazzo gay" ("The Way of the Cross of a Gay Boy") by Italian law professor Luigi Testa.
The foreword by Bishop Savino was published in the Vatican newspaper "L'Osservatore Romano". Francesco Savino, appointed Bishop of Cassano all'Jonio in 2015, has been Vice President of the Italian Episcopal Conference since 2022.
The editorial team of one of the most well-known newspapers in the Catholic world, "L'Osservatore Romano," printed Bishop Savino's foreword accompanied by an illustration depicting two shirtless men standing next to another man wearing a sleeveless shirt and carrying a cross.
Savino writes that "we have a deeply evolving understanding of sexuality, which is much richer, freer, and more open than it was in traditional societies."
According to him, today the Church "sends away public sinners" and "denies them the sacraments," which may not be appropriate.
"In how many statements, in how many parishes, in how many homes have we made children, beloved by God, feel wrong?" Savino writes, referring to members of the LGBT community.
He concludes: "The Church is either inclusive or it is not! The current synodal process can help us grow in this inclusivity to the extent that we are willing to heal many wounds."
"L'Osservatore Romano" is one of the three official sources of news for the Catholic Church, alongside Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center (CTV).
Earlier, it was reported that according to the Bishop of Betzing, members of the LGBT community have the right to become priests.