The conference is meant for abstinent gay people who follow church teachings.

Heather Clark of Christian News reports.

Notre Dame University to Host Controversial ‘Gay in Christ’ Conference for Abstinent Homosexuals

Notre Dame University, a popular Roman Catholic institution, will host a controversial conference entitled “Gay in Christ: Dimensions of Fidelity” this week for those who identify as homosexuals but who hold to Catholic teachings on sexuality and marriage.

According to a report released this week by the university, the two-day event is co-sponsored by Notre Dame’s Institute for Church Life and Gender Relations Center and will aim to “explore appropriate pastoral strategies for Catholic parishioners who regard themselves as non-heterosexual, but who accept Catholic Church teaching on marriage and sexuality.”

The event is stated to include much of the same discussion that took place during the recent synod of Catholic bishops in Rome. As previously reported, the summit discussed issues pertaining to relationships and families, including homosexuality, and was controversial even among those in attendance as many could not agree on the content of the relatio.

“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community: Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?” the original section on homosexuality read. “Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?”