Vatican City • Young people have told the Vatican in a survey that they want the Catholic Church to concretely discuss gay and gender issues.
The Vatican had solicited input from the young regardless of their religious views to help prepare for a gathering of bishops in Rome in October. The monthlong gathering will be held to better understand how to pastorally care for Catholic youths among the worldwide flock.
The Holy See on Tuesday presented the survey’s findings, which included eroded credibility in the eyes of young people toward the church because of sex abuse scandals involving pedophile priests, cover-ups by hierarchy and financial scandals.
Young people in the survey said the church should “face in a concrete way controversial topics like homosexuality and gender issues,” noting that they discuss them “without taboos.”