Today, in a new papal document entitled Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love), Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic church, outlined his vision for the church on family issues. Francis urged the church to “reaffirm that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity (…) while every sign of (…) discrimination is to be carefully avoided”. The document seems to confirm on the one hand the small steps taken by Pope Francis to reform the church’s position on sexual orientation and on the family diversity. On the other hand, the Pope added that same-sex unions “may not simply be equated with marriage”.
Maria von Känel, NELFA President, says “our mission is to protect all forms of families, regardless of their structure. Indeed, family diversity is a reality in contemporary society, and support to them is crucial to realising their full potential and to stand up against ongoing discriminations, hate speech and other forms of violence.”