Statements from church officials and protestors alike targeted gay priests and Fr. James Martin, SJ, during the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ assembly in Baltimore this week. These statements are but some of several signs that the U.S. episcopate still strongly resists Pope Francis’ efforts at church reform.
Church officials in England have strongly rejected critics’ charges that there is a “homosexual clique” controlling the church, which have prompted further repudiations of the idea that gay priests cause sexual abuse.
Yesterday, Bondings 2.0 featured reactions to the Synod on Youth from several LGBT-positive observers. Today’s post engages a more moderate voice when it comes to the Synod and LGBT issues, one whose analysis ultimately fails due to false equivocation.
Many reactions and commentaries on the Synod of Youth have appeared since the gathering’s conclusion just over a week ago, many of which touch on LGBT issues. Today’s post highlights some notable pieces from LGBT-positive voices with links provided for further reading; tomorrow’s post will examine how LGBT-negative Catholics are reacting.
A gay Catholic writer has shared his story in an appeal for Catholics to “walk in my shoes” so they can understand him and other LGBT people as human beings rather than as abstractions.
Protests have continued against a local Catholic Charities affiliate’s decision to end adoption and foster care services so it would not have to provide services to LGBT clients.
One of India’s top Catholic leaders has given his blessing to an LGBT hotline to help struggling Catholics and promised to encourage clergy to be more compassionate toward LGBT people.
With a gay church worker having to resign after right-wing attacks and new protests mounting, this moment in the church is one of new hate about which Catholics should be concerned, according to several LGBT experts.
A transgender church worker has written to parishioners asking them to vote to preserve Massachusetts’ gender identity non-discrimination law, which is on the ballot this coming Tuesday.
With President Donald Trump seeking to erase transgender people as a category, will the U.S. bishops be complicit in this egregious human rights violation or will they at last defend the trans community when it faces attacks?