Baltimore Archdiocese’s Plan for LGBTQ+ Ministry Has Limitations
Given its title, one might assume Archbishop Lori’s new document on LGBT ministry contains positive messages. There are, however, many conditions and limits, too.
Francis DeBernardo has ministered at New Ways Ministry since 1992, first as a volunteer, and then as a staff member since 1994. He has served as Executive Director since 1996. He has conducted programs on LGBT issues and Catholicism in parishes, dioceses, retreat houses, colleges, and religious communities throughout the United States. He authored Marriage Equality: A Positive Catholic Approach. He is the editor and a contributor to Bondings 2.0, a daily blog of news and opinion covering Catholic LGBT topics. His articles have appeared in The National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, The Advocate, and The American Catholic. He was the keynote speaker at the conference on religion and LGBT issues at the first World Pride event in Rome, Italy, in 2000, and a featured speaker at the interfaith conference at World Pride in London, England in 2012.
Given its title, one might assume Archbishop Lori’s new document on LGBT ministry contains positive messages. There are, however, many conditions and limits, too.
Pope Francis’ recent comment to a transgender person that “God loves us as we are” is a grand sign of welcome to LGBTQ+ people, particularly to transgender and nonbinary people.
It’s a possibility–and it would be great!
The participants’ list for the Synod’s next assembly causes both hope and disappointment for New Ways Ministry as we work for LGBTQ+ inclusion. This news commits us to continue working to ensure LGBTQ+ people will be heard in the church’s synodal process.
The LGBTQ+ community, people of faith, and the entire country have been greatly wounded by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the 303 Creative case which dangerously allows religious beliefs to be weaponized for discrimination.
It is nothing short of an amazing and true blessing that LGBTQ+ people were mentioned twice in the Vatican’s working document for the assembly of the Synod in October, which was released today.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could just give up our penchant for judging people, especially people whom we really don’t even know?
I can’t help but wonder that a big reason that Pope Francis has been so LGBTQ-friendly is because of his deep friendships with two gay men, Yayo Grassi and Juan Carlos Cruz.
An Easter message from Pope Francis.
Holy Saturday: “Time to go/From all I am/To all I have/Not yet become.”
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