Bishop Thomas Zinkula of Davenport (IA) has released Guidelines for Pastoral Accompaniment of Sexual and Gender Minorities, with an accompanying letter.
The guidelines’ five principles are “(1) a fundamental respect for the dignity of every human person, body and soul, created in the image and likeness of God; (2) a basic acknowledgement of people who experience differences in sexual orientation or gender discordance; (3) a commitment to loving people first and listening for deeper understanding; (4) a commitment to involving others in the discernment process, especially the individuals and families involved as well as other professionals and collaborators; (5) a case-by-case approach with a basic willingness to make reasonable and appropriate accommodations when possible”