Vatican summit features calls for inclusion of divorced and LGBTQ individuals

During a Vatican summit marking the tenth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, theologian Professor Julie Hanlon Rubio addressed the ongoing challenges of marginalization within the Catholic Church. Rubio advocated for greater inclusion of various groups, including divorced and remarried individuals, single-parent families, blended families, cohabiting couples, and persons identifying as LGBTQ.

Rubio shared a case study of an elderly woman with dementia who refused Holy Communion because she believed she was unworthy due to her husband’s previous marriage. Rubio argued that the Church should meet these individuals with open arms, describing their circumstances as a “challenging and necessary vocation.” Her remarks emphasized the principle that human fragility should be integrated rather than treated as a problem to be solved.