The call for a deeper belonging

The synod on synodality calls for a deeper belonging and welcome, especially towards sectors needing special attention. This includes members of the LGBTQ+.

This April, the Archdiocese of Davao starts its monthly celebration to prepare for its 75th Anniversary with the theme “Journeying Together as a Synodal Church Living Out the Spirituality of Stewardship in our Basic Ecclesial Communities/Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKKs)”.

This Diamond Jubilee was launched on February 22, 2024 at the San Pedro Cathedral. It is the first day of a nine-month celebration. Last March 3, 2024, the Archdiocesan Social Action Center (ASAC) gathered members of the forty-two parishes for the Pastoral Care of people needing special attention launch.

The event began with a talk by Sir Lunar Faygola, MAT, a Theology professor at the Ateneo de Davao University and of the Ignatian Institute of Religious Education Foundation (IIREF), at the University of the Immaculate Conception (Bajada).

With the sub-theme of the first Novena month “Church of the Poor and Integral Evangelization: Journeying and Caring for People in Need of Special Attention”, Faygola emphasized the synod’s call for inclusion and mission. He urged the attendees to discuss, offer feedback, and make a commitment to (renewed) integral evangelization. One of these sectors is the LGBTQ+ community.

During the DADITAMA Recollection last March 7, where Dr. Estella Padilla was the speaker via zoom, she shared her insights on the synod’s goals – one of which was towards a deeper belonging and welcome for all. She said that it is not easy to take part in the synod’s call for deeper belonging and welcome.

In the United States of America, data from May 2022 showed that LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide. According to Dr. Scott Hadland, the chief of adolescent and youth adult medicine at the Mass General Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, states that “The mental health of LGBTQ young people has always been in jeopardy — we have never achieved a place of full acceptance and affirmation for LGBTQ people in this country — and, of course, now we’re taking a step back.”

Meanwhile, the youth of this generation are more open and accepting of themselves than ever before. With the rise of the internet and their constant awareness of social issues, it is inevitable that their own self-discovery will start at an earlier age. Although discrimination will never disappear, the internet has made it easier for the youth to find their support systems through their online communities.

As an answer to the call of the synod, everyone is encouraged to open their hearts and lend an ear to these marginalized communities – in this case, the LGBTQ+ community. Acceptance and support are what they need in a judgmental society. Thus, let us begin a cycle of love and affirmation. (Leiyan Gudio – ACD Immersionist)