In Northern Italy, Catholic Diocese of Bolzano Supports LGBT Believers and Families During Coming Out
In early October 2026, ahead of National Coming Out Day, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen in the Alpine region of South Tyrol in northern Italy highlighted the work of its diocesan working group “Faith & Queer” (fede & queer). Established under the diocesan pastoral ministry, the group provides accompaniment, dialogue, and pastoral support for LGBTQ+ believers and their families, seeking to ease the coming-out journey, resolve internal conflicts between faith and sexual identity, and reaffirm personal dignity within church life.
According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the working group brings together lay Catholics and queer believers. In observance of Coming Out Day on October 11, the group partnered with the oral history cultural initiative Sempre qui. Storia queer dell’Alto Adige (“Always Here: Queer History of South Tyrol”), created by documentary filmmaker Martine De Biasi and the Eklektika social cooperative. Through this project, group member Toni Pramstaller shared his personal testimony, describing his journey in overcoming inherited notions of guilt and harmonizing his spiritual convictions with his sexual orientation.
Group coordinator Renate Rottensteiner, head of Adult Pastoral Care for the Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen, stressed that the ecclesial community has a moral responsibility to restore to LGBTQ+ individuals the dignity that was denied to them in religious settings in the past. She pointed out that coming out directly impacts family circles: while institutional religion may hold less sway for many young people, it often remains deeply significant for parents, grandparents, and extended family, who need reassurance and guidance that all persons are cherished by God. Rottensteiner also referenced the Italian Synodal Path (2020–2025), emphasizing that its conclusions encourage all Italian dioceses to actively counter homophobia and prejudice.
The Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen encompasses the bilingual Italian-German province of South Tyrol. Its pastoral initiative for sexual minorities has operated since 2021 (originally founded as “Faith and Homosexuality”), producing traveling educational exhibits and parish outreach programs. In September 2026, delegates from the group participated in a landmark national assembly in Rome, which gathered pastoral workers specializing in LGBT ministry from dioceses across Italy for the first time.
Evolving pastoral dynamics between the Catholic Church and sexual minorities in Italy remain an ongoing focus for Urania. Previously, the outlet covered Italian Episcopal Conference Vice President Francesco Savino’s call at a national gathering to restore the dignity of LGBT faithful, reported on a penitential prayer vigil in the Diocese of Chiavari featuring a public church apology to the LGBT community, and documented an open dialogue between the Bishop of Aversa and local pride organizers.
