The past 60 years have been a period of change and reflection for many in the Catholic Church, initiated by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s and continued by the current synod on synodality.

In the autumn of 2021, Pope Francis , to determine future directions for the church globally. The issued by the synod was published on Oct. 27, 2022.

This document was made public of Pope John XXIII's 1962 convocation of the Second Vatican Council. During the three years that followed, Catholic bishops from across the globe met in several sessions, assisted by expert theologians. Many guests were also , which included prominent Catholic laity and representatives from other Christian churches.

The council called for fresh ways to address 20th-century social and cultural issues and initiated official dialogue groups for Catholic theologians with others from different faith traditions.

However, Catholics have become increasingly divided over this openness to contemporary cultural changes. As a , I find that one important flashpoint where these deeper disagreements become more painfully visible is in Catholic worship, particularly in the celebration of its seven major rituals, called the sacraments. This is especially true in the celebration of matrimony.

In the mid-20th century, the church was still shaken by the repercussions of World War II and struggling to contribute to a world connected by the reality of global communication and the threat of nuclear war. Vatican II was called to“update” and“renew” the church – a process Pope John XXIII called“ .”

One important theme connecting all of the council's documents was , a more open dialogue with the variety of global human cultures. With the document , the bishops addressed the need to revisit the centuries-old worship traditions of Catholicism, reforming the structures of the various rituals and encouraging the use of vernacular languages during prayer, rather than exclusive use of the ancient Latin texts.

In the intervening decades, however, sharp contradictions and disagreements have arisen, especially over clashes between flexible cultural adaptation and rigorous moral and doctrinal standards. These have become much more visible during the past two pontificates: the more conservative Pope Benedict XVI – pope from 2005 to 2013 – and the more progressive Pope Francis.

For the present synod, Pope Francis began with a process of consultation with , stressing the inclusion of many different groups within the church, especially of , including the poor, migrants, LGBTQ people and women.

However, there . Some feel that the church should more swiftly adapt its teaching and practice to the needs of a variety of contemporary cultural shifts, while others insist it should hold on to its own traditions even more tightly.

In North America and Europe, a major has taken place over recent decades concerning gays and lesbians, from marginalized rejection to acceptance and support.

Over the years Pope Francis has for his comments about homosexuality. He has publicly stated that gay Catholics are not to be discriminated against, that they have a right to enter secular civil unions and that they are to be welcomed by the Catholic community. On the other hand, he has also to offer gay couples a blessing.

and , who had been of this practice, organized an open protest by setting aside a day just for the bestowal of these blessings.

In contemporary Catholicism, discrimination or injustice against gay or lesbian individuals is , because each human being is . However, homosexual orientation is still considered“” and homosexual activity seriously sinful.

The Vatican progressives of the danger that these blessings might be considered, in the eyes of the faithful, the equivalent of a . Some might assume that homosexual activity is no longer considered sinful, a fundamental change that conservative Catholics would find completely unacceptable.

This doctrinal perspective has led to other liturgical restrictions. For example, the baptism of children adopted by gay parents is considered a“ .” In order for a child to receive the sacrament of Catholic baptism – the blessing with water that makes the child a Catholic Christian – there must be some hope that the , yet the church teaches that homosexual activity is objectively wrong. Despite the current openness , this conflict could lead to the child's being denied baptism.

Following a under Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis in 2018 stated that candidates for the sacrament of ordination – the ritual that makes a man a priest – if they demonstrate“homosexual tendencies” or a serious interest in“gay culture.” He also advised gay men who are already ordained to .

This recent cultural shift in Western nations has raised difficult questions for Catholics, both clergy and laity. In some non-Western countries, however, it is that has become an important issue.

The culture of many African countries is supportive of polygamy – more specifically, the . While the civil law in some countries might not allow for polygamy, the“” rooted in traditional practice may still remain in force.

In some countries, like Kenya in 2014, to include an . Some have argued that monogamy is not an organic cultural shift but a on African cultural traditions. In some areas, Catholic men continue the practice, even those who act on behalf of the church in teaching others about the faith – called catechists.

At least one African bishop . The openness to alternative cultural approaches has already resulted in one change. Divorced and remarried Catholics were once forbidden from taking Communion – the bread and wine consecrated at the celebration of the Catholic ritual of the Mass – because the church did not recognize secular divorce.

Today, they may under certain conditions. This flexibility might apply as well to Catholics in non-recognized polygamous unions, who are also at present.

As Pope Francis wrote in his 2016 document on marriage, , some matters should be left to local churches to decide based on their own culture and traditions.

However, despite the stressed during Vatican II and the current synod, this traditional custom is still considered a violation of Catholic teaching. Based on the words of Jesus in the , Catholic teaching continues to emphasize that marriage can take place only between .

How the current synod on synodality, in its effort to extend the insights of the Second Vatican Council, will deal with questions like these is still unclear. It is now set to run for an additional year, concluding in 2024 instead of 2023.

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