ROME—A Vatican gathering called to debate potentially far-reaching changes in the Catholic Church adjourned on Saturday with a final report that barely referred to one of its most controversial questions: the place of LGBTQ people in the church.

That omission, following recent signs of liberalization on the matter from Pope Francis, was likely to disappoint Catholic advocates for LGBTQ rights. Proponents of women’s ordination received slightly more encouragement, as the Vatican meeting called for further research into the possibility of women deacons.