Synod on the Youth from the Perspective of Gender Minorities in the Philippines

• Main Author: Sanchez, Rachel Joyce Marie O
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2019
• Subjects: Church; Ecclesiology; Feminist Theology; LGBTIQ; Queer; Women; Youth; Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/theology-faculty-pubs/3; http://dvkjournals.in/index.php/ah/article/view/2166
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

How inclusive is the final document of the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Synod on the Youth in 2018 to young women and LGBTIQ+? Taking the cue from the Synod’s emphasis on compassion and listening, this paper begins with an overview of some studies regarding some concerns the Philippine youth have with regards to virginity and queer experiences of gender and sexuality. This paper analyzes the final document in the context of these experiences in terms of aspects that may be beneficial to women and LGBTIQ+, parts that seem ambivalent, and existing challenges. Based on Gregory Baum’s four levels of social sin, this presentation argues that for the positive aspects of the document to influence a collective decision in the church to authentically become a compassionate and inclusive community, improvements need to be made not only in terms of pastoral recommendations but also in terms of trends, religious symbols, and consciousness.