The ministry of pastoral care to adolescents involves promoting positive adolescent and family development through a variety of positive (preventative) strategies; caring for adolescents and families in crisis through support, counseling, and referral to appropriate community agencies; providing guidance as young people face life decisions and make moral choices; and challenging systems that are obstacles to positive development (advocacy). Pastoral care is most fundamentally a relationship—a ministry of compassionate presence.[1]
Again, these are caring words, but there is nothing that is ministry-specific to the needs of LGBTQ youth. In this section RTV lists nine points regarding pastoral care with youth, but one point in particular could have dealt specifically with LGBTQ youth, yet does not: "Pastoral care fosters the spiritual development of young people, and the healthy integration of their sexuality and spirituality."[2] This would have been a perfect location to address the sexual orientation of teenagers as well as connecting the sexuality of LGBTQ youth to their spirituality. It is certainly not unreasonable to connect sexuality to spirituality. This would have been an excellent place to add something along these lines in this section of the document:
- Pastoral Care is concerned about the total person; about the full expression of young people's spirituality and sexuality.
- Integrating our sexuality—whether heterosexual or homosexual—into genuine loving relationships is a matter of greatest importance for identity formation.
- LGBTQ youth deserve and should expect competent and genuine pastoral care.
Unfortunately, RTV fails to offer quality pastoral care to LGBTQ youth in the Component of Pastoral Care.
Of course, hindsight is 20/20 vision, but perhaps it is time for a revised and updated version of RTV: a new version with a fresh perspective that meets the needs of all adolescents today.[3] The reality is that the typical mainstream model of parish youth ministry does not reach LGBTQ youth because of social, cultural, religious, and sexual differences.[4] This is one of the many reasons RTV needs updating—knowing full well, of course, that Catholic hierarchy and ecclesial documents are more likely to follow the pioneering ministry or groundbreaking theology rather than setting ministry policy outright. Nevertheless, a new and improved ecclesial youth ministry document is in the best interest of Catholic ministry—a version that clearly advocates for LGBTQ youth and one that clearly states the pastoral care needs of sexual minority adolescents. The Magisterium's document and the three U.S. Catholic Bishops' documents mentioned above fail to provide an authentic fundament option to LGBTQ youth like that which other vulnerable and marginalized groups receive. Therefore, in a real way, the Catholic Church obfuscates a pastoral plan for LGBTQ young Catholics and offers generic platitudes, which are neither pastorally fruitful nor practically fulfilling. It is important that teenagers who are sexual minorities receive proper and competent pastoral care and feel that they have a voice and a place within the church. It is the role and responsibility of Catholic youth ministry to reach out and accept LGBTQ youth who can contribute to the vitality of the ministry, the church, and society.
