Sister Nathalie Becquart. (Screenshot courtesy New Ways Ministry)
In what organizers say was a first-of-its-kind appearance, a nun who serves as the Undersecretary of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops in Rome spoke to a worldwide audience of over 1,000 LGBTQ people who participated in an online webinar April 3 sponsored by the U.S. LGBTQ Catholic group New Ways Ministries.
The Mount Rainier, Maryland-based group said people from 37 different nations including the U.S. registered for the Zoom event entitled “Synodality: A Path of Reconciliation,” in which Sister Nathalie Becquart was the keynote speaker.
Becquart, a native of France, told participants that the Synod of Bishops is an international deliberative and advisory body for the Catholic Church created by the Vatican in the 1960s. Church observers say Pope Francis has strengthened the Synod’s role in advising the church on sometimes controversial issues.
According to Becquart, at Francis’ direction, the current Synod taking place from 2021 through 2023 has for the first time ever invited Catholics of all walks of life rather than just Roman Catholic bishops, to participate in Synod sessions taking place in Catholic dioceses throughout the world.
“I am truly grateful to have this opportunity to be with you today, listen to you, share with you,” Becquart told the online gathering. “And it’s my joy to be with you with New Ways Ministry and all of you who are here to hear more about the Synod,” she said. “That is a very important part of the church today. So, I am delighted to have this time with you.”
Among other things, Becquart presented a video explaining the role of a Synod in the Catholic Church and the unique role of the current ongoing Synod that has been expanded to include lay people as well as church officials. Becquart said she believes that Francis “truly” would like the full diversity of Catholics, including LGBTQ Catholics, to participate in the local church Synod sessions.
Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry’s executive director who served as moderator of the event, presented questions to Becquart after she completed her presentation in what he said was a distillation and summary of hundreds of questions submitted by participants in the U.S. and other countries.
“People have been saying as members of the LGBTQ community they have often not felt respected by church officials,” DeBernardo told Becquart. “So, the question that they ask is can we trust that our perspective will be heard this time by church officials as part of the Synod?”
Becquart thanked the participants for that question. “We can recognize that,” she said. “And as I said, you know Synodality is a way to recognize reality, the wounds. And it’s a call to be very humble,” she said.
“And I can’t say in advance what will happen,” she said, but added that the expanded scope of the current Synod would bring in new voices of support for those who are calling for reconciliation among all the diverse members of the Catholic Church, including the LGBTQ community.
“So, you can be confident that we will try to have you contribute and give your voice to find this dialogue,” she said.
“I think that during the question period, a lot of the pain and sense of rejection that many LGBTQ Catholics experience from the church was expressed,” DeBernardo told the Washington Blade. “I think it was important for Sister Nathalie, the highest-ranking woman in the Vatican at this time, to hear these emotions and challenges,” he said. “How can we be sure we will be heard? Will our speaking out do any good?”
Added DeBernardo, “My sense from her answers is that she genuinely wants to reach out to all people, including LGBTQ people, to participate in the synod consultations. For her, the synod is a form of reconciliation, and she was very sincere in encouraging LGBTQ people to participate.”
He noted that in the U.S., while many Catholic dioceses and church parishes are organizing synod sessions and reaching out to the community, many are not. “Here in the Archdiocese of Washington, I know that both St. Matthew’s Cathedral and Most Holy parish in Georgetown have done specific listening sessions for LGBTQ people,” DeBernardo said.
He said New Ways Ministry has conducted two virtual synod sessions and will be hosting another one April 24. A video recording of the April 3 webinar with Becquart will be available on the New Ways Ministry website soon, DeBernardo said.
Access to the upcoming New Ways Ministry synod session on April 24 can be accessed at the New Ways website.
