VOA常速英语2014--天主教堂对同性恋采取更宽容态度

Catholic Church Signals More Acceptance of Gays 天主教堂对同性恋采取更宽容态度

LONDON— 

A special meeting of Roman Catholic bishops 1 and lay advisers 2 at the Vatican is moving the Catholic Church toward a more tolerant relationship with homosexuals, divorcees and others it has shunned 3 and marginalized in the past.  

A mass opened the conference that Pope Francis called in an apparent effort to change the way the Catholic Church deals with people it considers to be in “irregular” situations, while not changing its doctrine 4.  The synod will not alter the Church’s official positions against homosexuality and same-sex marriage, its ban on divorce and polygamy, or its opposition 5 to people living together without getting married.  

方济各教皇以弥撒开始了一场显然意在改变天主教堂对所谓生活“不正常”者态度的尝试，同时又不改变教堂教义。这次宗教会议不会改变教堂官方对同性恋和同性婚姻的态度，不会改变对离婚和一夫多妻的禁令，也不会改变对未婚同居的反对。

But in a preliminary document, participants have indicated they want a change in the way priests and churches interact with such people.  

但在初步的文件中，参与者已表示希望改变牧师和教堂对这些人的态度。

Specifically, it says homosexuals have “gifts and qualities” that can benefit the Church, and that homosexual relationships can provide “mutual aid” and “support.”  

这份文件还专门提到，同性恋有能令教堂受益的“天分和品质”，同性关系能提供“相互帮助”和“支持”。

It also says there are “positive aspects” to the relationship of heterosexual couples who live together out of wedlock 6 - what the Church used to call ‘living in sin.’

文件还称那些未婚的同性恋伴侣关系有“积极的方面”，而教堂过去称之为“罪恶同居”。

“I think it’s a very great impact.  It’s going to affect many, many people’s lives," said Father Evans.

教父伊万斯说，“我想这具有重大影响，将影响很多、很多人的生活。”

Father Joe Evans is the Catholic chaplain of London’s King’s College.

乔·伊万斯教父是伦敦国王学院的天主教牧师。

“We’re telling people with same sex attraction: 'You are welcome in church, ‘no’ to marriage, but you have a great role.'  For us, what really matters in the church is sanctity, holiness, and a homosexual person can be as holy as anybody else," he said.

“我们要告诉同性恋者的是：‘教堂欢迎你们，不允许你们结婚，但你们发挥了重大作用。’对我们来说，教堂更重要的是圣洁、神圣，而同性恋者可以像其他任何人一样神圣。”

And even though that approach does not alter the Church’s view that homosexuality is immoral 7, the move is being called a “revolution” and an “earthquake.”  

尽管这并不改变教堂认为同性恋是不道德的看法，但此举被视为是一场“革命”和“地震”。

“There’s no change in the doctrine, but there’s a change in the approach.  It’s very much Pope Francis.  Pope Francis is insisting on continuity but with a strong focus on mercy and love," said Evans.

“教义不会改变，但路线上会有改变。这非常具有方济各教皇的特点，方济各教皇坚持连贯性，但他很注重宽容和爱。”

That has been Pope Francis’ emphasis ever since he took office 18 months ago, and this synod will make his approach formal policy.  But that doesn’t mean it will be welcomed worldwide, says Anna Abram, the head of pastoral and social studies at the University of London’s Heythrop College.

这也是方济各教皇自18个月以前就任以来一直强调的东西，这次宗教会议将使得他的路线成为官方政策。但这并不意味着全球都对此表示欢迎，伦敦大学海斯洛普学院院田园和社会研究负责人安娜·亚伯兰如是说。

“I think in some countries it will be harder to implement 8 this kind of guidance, where there is perhaps more, let’s label [it] ‘conservative’ approach in the church, because it is a big shift in the language at least, if it’s not in the doctrine," said Abram.

“我想在一些国家这样的指导方针较难实施，教堂可能会采取更‘保守’的路线，因为至少来说这是语言上的一大改变，即使不是教义上的改变。”

But Abram says for many Catholics this will indicate their Church is finally evolving on issues on which many societies have changed their views in recent decades.

但亚伯兰说对很多天主教徒来说，这将意味着教堂就很多国家最近几十年已经改变观点的问题终于有了改变。

“That is a big breakthrough that people who are in this so-called irregular situations can be more welcome, can be active, can be recognized.  They don’t have to feel they are sinners.  In fact, I think it was sinful probably for the church to be using that kind of language in the past," she said.

“我想这是个巨大的突破，这种所谓不正常关系的人们将更受欢迎、更活跃，能够得到认可。他们不必再感觉自己是罪人，事实上，我认为教堂过去使用这样一套语言的做法可能是有罪的。”

Abram says for the first time the Roman Catholic Church is focusing on the people in those ‘irregular’ situations, rather than what they do.  And that, she says, is worthy 9 of terms like ‘revolution’ and ‘earthquake.’

亚伯兰说罗马天主教堂首次开始关注这些“不正常”状态的人们，而不是关注他们做什么。她说这就值得用“革命”和“地震”这样的词汇来形容。