The document, an interim report of the synod on the family, taking place in Rome this week, said the church should recognise "positive aspects of civil unions and cohabitation" and said gay people have "gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community".

It recognised that some homosexual couples provide each other "mutual aid to the point of sacrifice" and "precious support in the life of the partners", and noted that the needs and rights of the children of gay and lesbian parents should be given priority.

It also called for the church to treat divorced Catholics with respect, "avoiding any language or behaviour that might make them feel discriminated against", but stopped short of recommending they be allowed to take communion.

Former priest-turned-commentator Paul Collins said the document reflects an accepting pastoral approach to gays, the divorced and those "living in sin" in de facto relationships.

"That doesn't mean the doctrine has changed," he said. "It's much nicer language, but no compromise on the doctrine.

"It's called 'gradualism'. People are gradually brought to do the right thing by embracing them."

Mr Collins said the document was only an "interim report" based on informal discussions so far, and the synod would not conclude until next year, so there was a chance the newly inclusive pastoral approach would "swing back".

The synod is a bishops' conference convened by Pope Francis, however some lay Catholics are also invited. Australian couple Ron and Mavis Pirola, who attended, told the gathered bishops about their Catholic friends who had welcomed their gay son's partner for Christmas lunch.

The Pirolas told the bishops that many official church teachings appear to be "from another planet ... and not terribly relevant to our own experiences".

Father Peter Maher, the parish priest of St Joseph's Newtown, which holds mass for gay and lesbian Catholics, said the document was "quite surprising and ground breaking".

"The most interesting thing is the change of language," he said.

"The openness to recognising gay and lesbian Catholics as being of equal dignity to all other Catholics."

Father Maher said there was still a gap between the pastoral approach advocated in the document and the strict doctrinal approach of the church.

"The language of the catechism includes things like 'seriously disordered' and 'intrinsically evil' to describe homosexuality. But this pastoral document is saying something different," he said.

"How can the church maintain its doctrine while also saying some of the things in this document, which seems to indicate homosexual people have equal dignity to everyone else?"

Mr Colins said "without a doubt" the softened language towards gays and divorcees reflected the influence of Pope Francis.

"He is a person committed to openness and a much more collegial style of government," he said.

Calls to the office of the Catholic Archbishop-elect of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, were not returned.