Catholic Summer Camp in Italy Closes After Firing Gay Teacher; And More News

Here are a few items you might find of interest:

1. A Catholic summer camp in Italy banned a teacher from becoming the camp director because he is gay, a decision which led to the camp’s closure, reported Citizen Digital. The unnamed teacher was hired to run the camp in Cesena. But when the pastor of the parish to which the camp is linked was made aware of an online photo online which showed the teacher kissing another man, the employment offer was rescinded. The report continued:

“[The teacher] was informed he would no longer be allowed to teach but could keep a supervisory role, an offer the young man refused. As he could not be replaced in time, the camp will not be able to open this summer.

“‘The rules are clear. We can’t give the children at a summer camp the feeling that having a homosexual instructor is normal,’ a member of the priest’s staff told the newspaper.

“The affair drew condemnation from the mayor of Cesena and a national gay rights group.

“‘I thought the Middle Ages were over and unacceptable manifestations of discrimination like this were foreign to our city. Obviously, I was wrong,’ wrote Mayor Enzo Lattuca on his Facebook page.”

The Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina, in which the parish is located, said the issue was “sensitive” but claimed that this decision did not involve discrimination because it said the church is “an open and welcoming home to everyone.”

2. Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland and a canon lawyer, criticized Pope Francis and called for church leaders to more forcefully condemn laws criminalizing LGBTQ+ people. According to The Tablet, McAleese stated, “Francis tries to have it both ways in relation to anti-gay legislation. It was useful that he did ask his fellow bishops, particularly the African countries, not to support legislation which outlawed homosexuality but rather to decriminalise. But with the greatest respect to Pope Francis that is the kind of thing we were saying 40 and 50 years ago. It is at the very least four decades behind the curve of where the people of God are at in relation to homosexuality.” McAleese added that, in terms of interal church reforms on sexuality and gender, the pope “has done pretty much nothing that is credible.”

3. Catholic bishops in Sri Lanka have remained quiet as the nation debates whether to decriminalize homosexuality, reported UCA News. Legislation has been proposed to repeal the colonial-era law banning same-gender relationships, something the United Nations and other human rights groups have encouraged. These groups also criticize Sri Lanka’s laws regarding transgender identities, an issue one unnamed priest in the Archdiocese of Colombo said was difficult to discuss due to wider social stigma, yet Catholics are struggling because of love of trans family members. Church leaders have remained silent on this issue, too.

4. Matthew LaBanca, a fired gay church worker, will now star in an off-Broadway play about his life. According to Playbill, “Communion is a one-man show centering on when he (LaBanca), a gay school teacher, was is fired from a Catholic school following the discovery of his sexual orientation. Directed by Kira Simring, the work spotlights how religion is twisted to legally discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people, and the spiritual trauma that results.” Bondings 2.0’s 2021 post about LaBanca’s firing can be found here.

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, September 20, 2023