Xorje Olivares Archives - New Ways Ministry

Vatican Blessings Ban a Moment to Leave Church for Some and to Recommit for Others

May 3, 2021/1 Comment/in Arts, Books & Culture, Marriage & Family, Same-Gender Blessings /by Angela Howard-McParland

In the weeks following the Vatican’s’s declaration that priests cannot bless same-gender couples, there are reports (like this one) that people are leaving the church because of this decision. And while some people may be finally throwing in the towel and leaving the church, for others, their Catholicism runs deeper than the institution in Rome. Read More

U.S. Catholics, Including Sisters of Mercy, Express Pain About Vatican Blessings Ban

April 10, 2021/1 Comment/in Marriage & Family, New Ways Ministry, Parish Life & Pastoral Care, Same-Gender Blessings, Uncategorized /by Robert Shine, Managing Editor

Despite the Vatican's attempt to end the conversation on blessing same-gender couples, negative reactions to the ban continue to pour in from all parts of the Catholic world. Some of that conversation is about the difficult navigation of LGBTQ Catholics choosing to remain in the church or leave, and the losses that such leaving cause to the church. Read More