The Third Synodal Assembly of the Church in Italy marked a historic turning point in the pastoral approach to LGBT people. With the approval of “Yeast of Peace and Hope,” its Synodal Path Summary Document, the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) overwhelmingly approved proposals representing unprecedented openness toward homosexual and transgender people, promoting their recognition and support within ecclesial communities. The document, approved by 781 votes (out of 809), is the fruit of four years of discussion and debate involving bishops, diocesan delegates, and guests. The text was developed based on amendments that emerged during the Second Synodal Assembly, the coordinating work of the CEI Presidency, the Synodal Path Committee, the Permanent Council, and bodies of the Episcopal Conference.

As CEI President Cardinal Matteo Zuppi emphasized in his conclusions: “Now that this Synodal Assembly has voted on the text today, it is now up to the pastors to take everything on board, identify priorities, and engage forces old and new to give substance to the words: collegiality and synodality.”

Opening to LGBT People

The heart of the openness to the LGBT world is found in Proposal 30(c), included in the section dedicated to “Care for Relationships” with the programmatic title “All, All, All” (a play on Pope Francis’s appeal, tutti, tutti, tutti ). The proposal, the most sensitive issue of the entire assembly, commits “local Churches, overcoming the discriminatory attitudes sometimes widespread in ecclesial circles and society, to promote the recognition and support of homosexual and transgender people, as well as their parents, who already belong to the Christian community.” The word choice is not accidental. The document explicitly acknowledges the existence of “discriminatory attitudes” in ecclesial circles and calls on local communities to overcome them. This is not simply a matter of tolerance, but of a genuine “recognition” of homosexual and transgender people as full members of the Christian community.

An Unavoidable Consensus

The sensitivity of the issue is evidenced by the voting figures: Out of 826 voters, Proposition 30(c) received 672 in favor (81.35%) to 154 against. That was the lowest consensus of all the approved proposals, but it remains an overwhelming majority, demonstrating that the Italian Church has embarked on a new path on LGBT issues and beyond, one that subtly follows the more radical and explicit path of the German Synodal Path. We are in the midst of the German Church, but on Italian soil. There is no reason to delude ourselves.

As Archbishop Erio Castellucci, president of the National Committee of the Synodal Path, stated: “It is not a perfect text, but it reflects the journey we have undertaken and the sense of faith of our communities.” The vote “was not an expression of affiliation, but an act of ecclesial conscience: the primacy of personal conscience, enshrined in the conciliar texts, must inspire the assembly moment we are experiencing.”

An Inclusive Vision of ‘Community’

The document begins with a theological premise: “Being a sign of the Kingdom of God implies authentic and communal relationships that showcase differences as richness.” The ecclesial community aims to be “a space where everyone can feel understood, welcomed, supported, and encouraged, with particular attention to those who remain on the margins.” This vision requires a paradigm shift: “moving from the exclusionary logic of inside/outside to one of implication and recognition.” The document honestly acknowledges that “in some cases and on some issues, further in-depth analysis, discussion, and shared discernment are still needed to gradually arrive at shared choices,” but at the same time it forcefully affirms that “the gaze of faith eschews rigid categories and demands the acceptance of nuance” because “the disciples are journeying toward a reality that has a place for everyone.” The concept of welcoming “shades” seems curious, given the subject matter. It surely reminds many of 50 Shades of Grey.

A Concrete Commitment Against Discrimination

This openness is not limited to LGBT people, but also extends to their families. The document specifically calls for support not only for homosexual and transgender people, but also “for their parents, who already belong to the Christian community” — an important recognition that these families are already part of the Church and deserve support.

But then comes the most controversial passage: “that the CEI support, with prayer and reflection, the ‘days’ promoted by civil society to combat all forms of violence and demonstrate solidarity with those who are hurt and discriminated against (Days against violence and gender discrimination, pedophilia, bullying, femicide, homophobia and transphobia, etc.); and that local Churches and Regional Episcopal Conferences appropriately train pastoral workers and draw on existing training experiences and practices.”

Reading that the CEI must support with prayer the “days” promoted by civil society to combat all forms of violence and show solidarity with those who are hurt and discriminated against (Days against Violence, Gender Discrimination, etc.), does this mean it must pray for Gay Pride Parades? Will the CEI pray that gender propaganda and ideology enter schools, perhaps starting in kindergarten, with all its disruptive force?

This is the first time an official document from the Italian Church has taken such a clear stand against homophobia and transphobia. It’s a sign of the times… of bad times!

A Wider Opening

The openness to LGBT people is part of a broader context of inclusion. The document also provides support for people in “stable emotional and family situations other than the sacrament of marriage (second unions, de facto cohabitation, marriages and civil unions, etc.)” and for “cohabiting couples who are considering a future union in the sacrament of marriage.”

The Road Ahead Is Long… and with Surprises

As Zuppi recalled, “The Synodal Journey has ended today, but the synodal style will accompany us, which pushes us to implement over time what we have intuited, discussed, written, and voted on.” The next General Assembly of the CEI, scheduled for November 2025, will be entirely dedicated to discussing the document and developing concrete guidelines and resolutions. The Permanent Council has established a group of bishops who, with the support of the statutory bodies, will lead the reception and discernment phase. It will be the pastors’ task to “identify priorities, engage old and new forces to give substance to the words,” transforming the document’s indications into daily pastoral practice in Italian dioceses.

Conclusion

The approval of “Yeast of Peace and Hope” represents a moment that might be called “historic” for the Italian Church, but in a negative sense. After years of silence or ambiguous positions, the CEI under Cardinal Zuppi’s leadership has finally chosen a clear path amidst the ambiguity and nuance of its words: overcoming discrimination to fully embrace the LGBT world and its ideology. It is the beginning of a journey the full revelation of whose content — now barely concealed — will take time. As Pope Leo XIV — quoted in the document — urged when he received them in June, we must “remain united and not defend ourselves from the provocations of the Spirit. May synodality become a mentality.” A mentality that, finally, includes tutti, tutti, tutti.

Where Do We Go from Here?

Francesco Savino, bishop of Cassano al’Ionio and vice president of the CEI, described his experience of celebrating Mass for LGBT pilgrims in the Jesuit church of Gesù in Rome in September as “astonishing.”

“It scratched my conscience because I saw so much pain in so many men who have been victims of judgment and prejudice simply because they belong to this world we call LGBT+.” And so my attempt to speak the truth, because it is the truth that sets us free. There is no freedom without truth. In that church, I gave a homily that had a lot of resonance because I said something simple: ‘We need to restore dignity to people who have had this dignity taken away from them’ or who have never had it because they have a sexual identity different from what we call heterosexual. I understand that anthropology needs to be rethought, but as a Church we must dialogue with the human sciences. And the human sciences are not static. They are not a museum where archaeological finds are kept. The human sciences are dynamic, they are in progress. So we need to fully understand what these sexual differences are. (…) The time has come for courage, when a number of things must fall away, first and foremost ideological approaches to the problem. If we approach this problem ideologically, there will always be marginalization. (…) We need to use the approach of accompaniment discussed in chapter 8 of Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia, which says that we need to welcome, listen, accompany, discern, and integrate (…). These people we call different are people who have another identity that must be understood and comprehended. They should not be denied the possibility of being loved and of loving, even on an intimate and sexual level. Why deny them this right? (…) We must learn to organize communities where the conviviality of differences ranging from skin color to sexual identity is welcomed. The communion of differences is the foundation of a civilization, a more mature democracy, and a more inclusive Church, not one that excludes. He called for “dialogue” within the Church, particularly involving the “human sciences,” which are “evolving” and “dynamic,” not “static” in their understanding.

Monsignor Savino then explains that, having experience with courses on this subject, he had discussed the possibility of celebrating Mass with Pope Francis, who had given his consent. After Francis died, he spoke to Pope Leo XIV, the pope of listening, who gave his consent and asked him to report back on how the Mass had gone. For this reason, Savino says he “felt supported and encouraged.” He says that after celebrating Mass, he spent time with these highly sensitive and wounded people because “they felt unwelcome, judged, and marginalized. So I believe that that Jubilee is a point of no return in terms of inclusive pedagogy, the pedagogy of approaching this world. (…) Life gave me the opportunity to meet these people when I was a parish priest. Even today, I am often visited by people, either two women or two men who have been married in a civil ceremony … who wish to talk to the bishop. These people are courageous because these experiences are often lived in secrecy. (…) I want to be a bishop of the people, where ‘people’ is understood in its most heterogeneous sense, where there are men and women, homosexuals, lesbians, and transsexuals.”