On Flight Back to Rome, Pope Francis Offers Advice to Parents of Lesbian and Gay People

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On the return flight home from the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis spoke with journalists aboard the plane, covering a variety of topics, though mostly focusing on the sex abuse crisis, but he also offered advice to parents of lesbian and gay children. Read More

Pope Francis Closes World Meeting of Families While Being Attacked by Former Papal Nuncio

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The World Meeting of Families 2018 concluded yesterday with a papal Mass in Dublin's Phoenix Park, and the atmosphere was decidedly somber and depressing.  The morning's rain showers didn't help, but the rain clouds were not the problem. The problem was the darker clouds of clergy and religious abuse of children which has covered Ireland for far too long now. And if Pope Francis' slow response to the abuse was not enough to keep people away, on the eve of the papal Mass news hit that the former papal nuncio to the United States was attacking the pontiff's record. Read More

New Ways Ministry Responds to Archbishop Vigano’s Accusations Against Gay Clergy and Pope Francis

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While I am in no position to comment on the veracity of Archbishop Carlo Vigano’s recent claims about what Pope Francis and other church officials knew about various cases of clergy sexual abuse, after reading his statement, his emphasis that all of the Catholic Church’s current problems on supposed “homosexual networks” within the Church and also with Pope Francis reads like classic scapegoating.  Read More

Ireland’s Leaders Greet Pope Francis With Confident Pro-LGBT References

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Pope Francis arrived in Dublin on Saturday, and almost immediately LGBT issues were raised as part of the discussion. Read More

The Catholic Hierarchy’s Evolution on LGBT Topics

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"Can the Catholic Church ‘Evolve’ on L.G.B.T. Rights?" That's the intriguing headline on a recent New York Times  op-ed, penned by John Gehring, Catholic Program Director of Faith in Public Life. Read More

On Eve of Dublin Pride, McAleese Calls Church Teaching on Gay People ‘Evil’

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(New Ways Ministry’s response to this news is embedded in this post.  To read the... Read More

Catholics Object to Pope Francis’ Claim LGBT Families Are Not Real Families

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LGBT Catholic groups have reacted strongly against Pope Francis' recent claim that only heterosexual couples and their children constitute a real family, further complicating the pope's record on LGBT issues. Read More

Should Catholics Be Hopeful About Pope Francis’ Latest Remark on LGBT Issues?

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Mixed reactions to Pope Francis' most recent LGBT-related comments have continued to be published, including the perspectives of feminist Catholics and some columnists. Read More

After Meeting With Pope Francis, Gay Man Says “I Saw a Compassionate Man”

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The gay man to whom Pope Francis said "God made you like this and [God] loves you" has shared more about his conversation with the pope and his own faith life in a recent interview. Read More

Pope Francis: World’s Pastor, Enforcer of Doctrine—or Spiritual Director?

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Pope Francis’s declarations on LGBTQ issues have been producing spiritual whiplash. On one hand we have “Who am I to judge?” and “God made you like this. God loves you like this.” On the other, we have a reaffirmation that seminaries should not admit gay men, and no indication that Francis plans to alter basic church teaching on sexuality. How should we understand this complex--or contradictory?--figure? Read More