A second bishop in the U.S. has suggested Catholic funerals be denied to people in same-gender civil marriages, going so far as to suggest the deceased be remembered without being named at all. . .
I have ruminated long and hard about raising my voice. I’ve considered outlets through which I could speak and I’ve considered silence. For a while, I favored silence, in that perhaps behind-the-scenes discussion could be possible if I didn’t make a public deal out of leaving. Events of the past week have made it impossible for me to continue without a fight.
Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte made his remarks while being deposed in the federal court case of Lonnie Billard, who was fired from Charlotte Catholic High School in 2014 when his engagement to a man became public. Jugis said in the deposition that continuing to employ church workers who advocate against or violate “fundamental moral tenets” of church teaching would be a cause for “scandal.” The Charlotte Observer reported further. . .
A transgender teen is suing a Catholic hospital for allegedly denying him a surgery as part of his transition. This case is but the latest example that church-affiliated healthcare systems will increasingly have to deal with trans issues, with the question now being how will the hospitals respond?
More work remains, however, as LGBT church workers and others who are simply supportive of equality remain vulnerable. More than 70 have lost their jobs in LGBT-related employment disputes over the last decade. Due to religious exemptions, there have been few legal victories thus far. Catholic institutions largely lack relevant non-discrimination policies. Now is the time to take action. . .
More bishops have offered their support for Fr. James Martin, SJ’s book on LGBT issues in the church, Building a Bridge, though not all episcopal reviews have been positive.
An Irish bishop has insisted that supports of marriage equality be included in the World Meeting of Families that will be held in Dublin next year. Here’s what else he had to say. . .
Catholic Women Speak, an initiative which promotes preaching by women through an online video series, invited a married lesbian Catholic woman to offer a reflection on this Sunday’s readings. Here is what she had to say about struggling with church teaching and Germany’s new marriage equality law….
Last week, Pope Francis made in important statement on the development of doctrine which is readily applicable to LGBT issues in the church. Here’s what he said. . .
An Australian bishop has said same-gender couples’ love is “like the love of friends” and compared their relationships to incestual relationship, all while weighing in as the nation’s postal survey on marriage equality that continues through early November. . .