Vatican Uses “LGBT” For First Time In Official Document

The Independent reports:

The Vatican has recognized the term “LGBT” by using it in one of its official documents for the first time. A paper examining the Catholic Church’s relationship with young people, published on Tuesday, said “some LGBT youth” were looking to “benefit from greater closeness and experience greater care by the church.”

The use of the term appears to mark a significant change in the Vatican’s attitude towards gay Catholics, which it has previously described as people with “homosexual inclinations” and “homosexuals.” The document, known as an instrumentum laboris, was released ahead of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, due to take place in October to discuss young people.

The report acknowledged the church’s traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, were “unpopular” among younger generations. It also conceded the question of sexuality within the Catholic world needed to be discussed “more openly and without prejudice.”