Defying orders from his archbishop, a Chicago priest went ahead with plans to burn a rainbow flag and revealed he had taken more actions to remove his parish’s history of being LGBT-friendly.
Catholics once again played a central role in Malta’s Pride celebrations which took place last weekend, including both the participation of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC) for the first time and a protest by anti-gay Catholics.
Today’s post features short news notes including U.S. Catholic priests’ resolution supporting LGBT ministry, the Costa Rican bishops’ condemnation of marriage equality, and a conference of gay-negative Christians seeking to promote LGBT people’s dignity.
A priest’s plan to burn a rainbow flag which once hung at the parish he oversees has been stopped after the Archdiocese of Chicago intervened, but the question remains how this priest is allowed to remain in pastoral ministry.
More than a year after first publishing Building a Bridge on LGBT issues in the Catholic Church, Fr. James Martin, SJ’s book has continued to stir conversation. Today’s post highlights a few more reactions with links provided for further reading.
Employees at Catholic Charities in Buffalo are protesting their local bishop’s decision to end the agency’s adoption and foster care services over anti-LGBT non-discrimination protections, a controversy erupting just as that same bishop faces increasing calls for resignation over his handling of abusive priests.
A church worker placed on leave after her same-gender marriage became known to Catholic officials will appear on The Ellen Show tomorrow after weeks of support from the school community where she works.
Yesterday, Bondings 2.0 covered recent comments by several U.S. bishops that strove to link homosexuality with clergy sexual abuse. Today’s post offers commentaries from Catholics who either pushed back against such bishops or who have offered a more positive assessment about gay priests and the abuse crisis.
Right wing Church leaders are again trying to blame sexual abuse by clergy on gay priests and religious. One bishop has even suggested a ‘homosexual subculture” is “wreaking great devastation in the vineyard of the Lord.” But many Catholics have pushed back, rightfully acknowledging the positive role gay priests and religious have played in the Church while identifying real causes of abuse as crimes of power not sex. Today’s post reports on the bishops’ gay-negative statements while tomorrow’s post shares several analyses.
A leading theologian scheduled to lead a retreat for gay priests this fall has responded to criticism from the archbishop in whose diocese the retreat is being held.