The Vatican has a new message for the gay community.<br/> <br />A week of meetings of 200 bishops has led to a document that urges the church to be more merciful to gays.<br/> <br />The document says the church should challenge itself to find "a fraternal space" for gay people without compromising Catholic doctrine on family and matrimony.<br/> <br />In New York, Allison Steinberg of the Empire State Pride Agenda says the news gives her hope.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) ALLISON STEINBERG, EMPIRE STATE PRIDE AGENDA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, SAYING:<br/> <br />"LGBT equality is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Maybe we're at the halfway point, so we have a long way to go, but this is absolutely a step in the right direction."<br/> <br />While Roman Catholic gay rights groups are calling the shift a breakthrough, church conservatives say it's a betrayal of traditional family values.<br/> <br />At St. Patrick's Cathedral, churchgoers seem receptive to the new tone.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN BOWDEN, CATHOLIC CHURCH-
