Vatican retranslates Synod text

Downplays openness to gays

Phrasing changed to 'providing for homosexual persons'.

Source:Ucanindia, Posted on October 17, 2014,

Vatican City: 

Questions over the tone presented by the global meeting of Catholic bishops toward gay people dominated conversations surrounding the event Thursday, after the Vatican seemingly tried to water down its message of openness and welcoming to homosexuals.

Unexpectedly updating the English-language translation of a landmark document released by the group Monday, the Vatican on Thursday changed a section of the document from "welcoming homosexual persons" to "providing for homosexual persons”.

But the Italian version of the document from the meeting, known as a synod, remains the same and does not reflect the changes in the English translation.

Responding to questions from reporters about the change at a briefing Thursday, Vatican spokesman Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi emphasized that the official language of the synod is Italian and "we have said always that the text to refer to is the Italian”.

Pressed about who had asked for the change and why the English version no longer matches the Italian, Lombardi said the Vatican press office released the revision at the request of the Vatican's office for the Synod of Bishops and would not provide further details.

The only passages that seem to be changed in Thursday's revision of the English language translation of Monday's document come in the 50th paragraph of the document, which deals with the church's attitude and tone toward homosexuals.

While the subheading on the Italian version of those paragraphs remains "Accogliere le persone omosessuali" -- literally, "to welcome homosexual persons" -- the English version now reads, "Providing for homosexual persons."

Likewise, one of the sentences in the paragraphs in that section of the new English version has been changed to remove several words while the Italian version has not.

The Italian version asks the question: "Siamo in grado di accogliere queste persone, garantendo loro uno spazio di fraternit� nelle nostre comunit�?" -- roughly: "Are we capable of welcoming these persons, guaranteeing them a space of fraternity in our community?"

The new English version reads, with the ellipses in the original: "Are we capable of providing for these people, guaranteeing [...] them [...] a place of fellowship in our communities?"

Source:ucanindia