In South Korea, Monthly Mass Helps LGBTQ+ Catholics Find Community

A South Korean archdiocese has provided support to a forum aimed at spiritually nourishing LGBTQ+ people and helping them to speak out against discrimination.

Arcus, a group for LGBTQ+ Catholics supported by the Archdiocese of Seoul, meets monthly for Mass, hosted in the LGBTQ Parents’ Association in the Jung-gu district of Seoul. After Mass, attendees meet to mingle, converse about the situations of their lives, and discuss their civil rights, reported UCA News.

Before the monthly Mass was established, Soso, a 31-year-old bisexual Catholic, found it challenging to navigate the “hateful language in church,” which led him to question whether he can be both Catholic and LGBTQ+. He said the monthly Mass and meetings allow him to reflect on his personal relationship to Catholicism.

Since attending the monthly gatherings, Soso has found it easier to process his own identity and to become more vocal in advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion. He stated:

“‘Meeting LGBTQ-friendly priests and nuns at the Arcus Mass gave me the courage to speak out.’

“‘I feel the community is slowly expanding as new people continue to come to Mass and more and more people want to be a part of it.'”

According to the Human Rights Watch, South Korea’s political and social climate are highly-discriminatory against LGBTQ+ people. Arcus’ existence creates a much needed safe space for LGBTQ+ Catholics and allies. While homosexuality is legal, marriage equality is still illegal in the country. Same-gender couples are not able to adopt children and do not have protection against housing discrimination. Conversion therapy is still not banned.

Unfortunately, such anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments are also found in religious spaces. In a streamed presentation this November, Fr. Jae-gyu Jeong stated that LGBTQ+ individuals are “too violent for religious people.” For a 20-year-old woman who chose to remain anonymous, Jeong’s comment itself is “violence against LGBTQ people.” An unnamed Catholic woman found Jeong’s comment to be insensitive, considering the “structural violence” that LGBTQ+ people face.

Arcus attendees discuss these types of instances with the hope of overcoming what one person called the “bitter experiences in the Church.” Yet, many Catholics are willing to learn and support the LGBTQ+ community. Father Won Dong-il, who presided at a recent Arcus Mass, acknowledged that when he met a distressed lesbian parishioner 20 years ago, instead of offering support, he “didn’t say a warm word” to her. He now states, “If I met her now, I would ask for forgiveness.” He still deeply regrets his earlier behavior.

Individuals, like Fr. Won Dong-il, show that change is possible, and initiatives like Arcus help to initiate this change. Through continued outreach and safe spaces, there is hope that LGBTQ+ individuals can find peace in the church, even places like South Korea where anti-LGBTQ+ bias in society remains strong.

—Sarah Cassidy (she/her), New Ways Ministry, December 9, 2023