Posts

Scapegoating LGBTQ+ People Must End and All Be Welcomed, Says Fr. James Alison

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After recognizing at age nine that he was gay, James Alison, a priest and theologian, spent many scholarly years trying to understand why queer people are targets in society. His conclusion: the queer community has become victims of the age-old practice known as "scapegoating." Read More

Fr. James Alison: LGBTQ+ Blessings Will Expand Inclusion While Preserving Unity

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“The Church is for sinners.” With this statement, gay priest and theologian James Alison summarizes the underlying message of Fiducia Supplicans and explains the document’s significance will “open a way forward that will allow LGBT Catholics to be listened to on their own terms while maintaining the unity of the Church.” Read More

LGBTQ+ Catholics at World Youth Day Mass Undeterred By Right-Wing Protest

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A Mass for LGBTQ+ pilgrims at World Youth Day was temporarily disrupted by right wing protests last week. Despite protestors' claims to the contrary, one of the celebrating priests said "the Mass clearly in line with the Holy Father's message." Read More

Jesuit Says Politicians Use Anti-LGBTQ+ Criminalization to Distract from Real Problems

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A Catholic priest has criticized certain political leaders in Africa for using the criminalization of homosexuality as a diversion from addressing real problems. Read More

Profile of Gay Priests in Brazil Reveals the High Personal Toll of Repressing One’s Sexuality

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A 2020 BBC profile of several gay Brazilian priests offer insights into the church’s approach to  homosexuality in their own ranks and lessons on how the church could evolve. Today’s post will look at the personal toll repression takes on the number of gay priests within the church. Read More

Fr. James Alison Writes Vatican Threw “Tantrum” with Blessings Ban

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Fr. James Alison, a gay priest and theologian, has written that the Vatican's responsum that banned blessings for same-gender couples was a "tantrum." Elsewhere, Fr. Frank Brennan writes that, ultimately, it is God, not the church, who decides about blessing love. Read More

Fr. James Alison: Support for Civil Unions Reveals Deeper Truth About Pope Francis

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Theologian and openly gay priest Fr. James Alison wrote a commentary on Pope Francis' support for civil unions, describing it both as "something not especially new, and yet genuinely 'a big deal'." Read More

Fr. James Alison Publishes New Personal Essay on Life as a Gay Man in Relationship with God

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Fr. James Alison, a gay theologian, has penned an astoundingly beautiful personal essay for The Christian Century’s series that focuses on the prompt, “How my mind has changed.”Alison reflects on moments and relationships throughout his life as a gay man that shaped his relationship with God and his studies of theology. Read More

Fr. James Alison Writes on Being a Gay Priest, Fighting Institutional Homophobia

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In a recent Commonweal article, Fr. James Alison uses the metaphor of sheep, shepherds, and wolves to explain how he works to address the problem of institutionalized homophobia in the church, as well as to recall his own personal experiences as a gay priest and his support of other LGBTQ Catholics. Read More

Fr. James Alison Launches New Website for LGBTQ-Inclusive Eucharistic Liturgies

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Last week, Bondings 2.0 announced we would be collecting LGBTQ-related spiritual practices and resources that have been particularly meaningful or helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic when normal spiritual routines have been disrupted. One resource to share already is the website "Praying Eucharistically" newly released by Fr. James Alison, a gay theologian and prominent LGBTQ advocate. Read More