The meeting took place at the Madrid headquarters of the Bishops' Conference at the request of the minister, and lasted for about an hour, in an atmosphere of cordiality and trust, according to a note issued by the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).
The initial motif of the meeting was the so-called "conversion therapies" of homosexualsafter the minister addressed two issues over the weekend.
Two questions from the minister
First, the decision of the bishopric of Segovia to support the refusal of a priest to distribute communion to two homosexual persons, a matter that the ministry considers "a discriminatory act".
And secondly, the opening of a filefollowing a complaint in which it is reported that "in several Spanish dioceses courses and workshops on sexual conversion for LGTBI+ people are being given".
Monsignor Argüello: unscientific expression
In relation to this second issue, according to the note from the EECArgüello pointed out that "conversion therapies" is "an imprecise, broad and unscientific expression, which the Catholic Church does not support and which is not within the scope of its pastoral action.
The president of the Bishops' Conference also stressed that all therapies that are not 'affirmative therapies' cannot be treated as 'conversion therapies'".
On the other hand, Luis Argüello adds that "the 'Transformed' project, as explained by the people who carry it out, invites to conversion to Christ and to the proposal of life that arises from the Gospel and that is offered to all people". Therefore, it is not a psychological therapy or similar, but rather it talks about leading or approaching a life of faith, and it is also public.
– Supernatural note of the Ministry of Equality reports the rejection of the minister "to the conversion therapies that are being applied in several Spanish dioceses", and reveals that work is being done "on a report to assess the value of modifying the Penal Code and make them a crime".
Receiving communion in God's grace: affects everyone
Minister Ana Redondo and Archbishop Luis Argüello also shared their views on the issue of the distribution of communion to homosexuals.
Archbishop Argüello denied, according to the note, that in the Catholic Church there is discrimination in this sense, in relation to what was stated by the Ministry of Equality, "since the basic norm for receiving communion, which is to be in the grace of God, affects all Catholics equally, regardless of any other condition, including sexual orientation".
Finally, both agreed on "the importance that the principles of freedom, equality and non-discrimination have for our constitutional society". For its part, the bishopric of Segovia issued a few days ago a press release explaining the facts concerning Communion.
