CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2023 / 16:30 pm
An Iowa bishop issued new guidance for parishes, schools, and other institutions in his diocese, which calls for a “case-by-case approach” in the pastoral “accompaniment of sexual and gender minorities” while remaining “faithful to the Church’s teachings on sexuality and the nature of the human person.”
Bishop Thomas Zinkula of the Diocese of Davenport promulgated the new guidance on Oct. 4, two weeks before he is set to depart from the diocese to begin his new role as the archbishop of Dubuque on Oct. 18. The guidance stemmed from the work of a committee set up in January 2021 to address sexual and gender identity issues arising in schools and parishes.
“The purpose of the guidelines is precisely both to affirm Church teaching and yet to find a meaningful way for pastors, principals, and others to minister to those they encounter in delicate pastoral situations,” Zinkula told CNA.
“We hope to accompany them without denying their full personhood and dignity, or Catholic teaching,” the bishop added.