Approaching the Synod from 30,000 Feet
Clearly, my mind is on a lot of things, and as if that wasn’t enough, my heart is filled with excitement. I’m excited for a new way of being church that is emerging.
Mark Guevarra (he/him) is a doctoral student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has an interest in how restorative justice practices are necessary on the road to a synodal church, especially in restoring relationships between LGBTQ+ folkx and the Catholic church. His interest is personal, having been fired as a pastoral associate for being in a same-gender relationship. Mark’s faith, shaped by his Filipino-Canadian and gay identity, is something he is passionate about witnessing to, sharing, and nurturing in a world of grace and brokenness. Mark is a member of Dignity Canada Dignité and a board member of Concerned Lay Catholics, a Canada Catholic organization committed to affirming the laity’s role of co-responsibility in the Church.
Clearly, my mind is on a lot of things, and as if that wasn’t enough, my heart is filled with excitement. I’m excited for a new way of being church that is emerging.
Trying to hear the voice of Jesus is difficult as a Catholic and even more difficult as an LGBTQ+ Catholic. It’s nothing short of a miracle that LGBTQ+ people remain in the church.
Turning the other cheek meant letting go and finding solace in my powerlessness. In this way, Jesus’ liberating hand frees me from my instinct to fight back, to flee to false securities, or to freeze in negative feelings.
Many of us in the LGBTQ+ community know of vulnerability in prayer. We are left to the mercy of God and trust that God has our best interests in mind.
As a gay Catholic, I see Pope Francis’ approach to addressing the residential schools as a model for how the church might one day reconcile with LGBTQ+ Catholics who have been harmed and excluded.
Yunuen Trujillo’s “LGBTQ Catholics: A Guide to Inclusive Ministry” provides an essential roadmap for starting and growing LGBTQ ministry.
Fears of not being listened to are still real, but we cannot let them hold us back.
For Catholics who seek equality for LGBTQ people in the church, now is the time to redouble our efforts to speak our truth for the sake of justice.
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