American Catholics begin building bridges again after the gay massacre in Orlando

Article by Bob Shine published on Bondings 2.0, blog of the Catholic association New Ways Ministry (United States), on 25 July 2016

Many bridges still need to be built when it comes to LGBT people and their families in the Catholic Church. Where can they find positive Catholic examples, especially after the Orlando massacre which left forty-nine dead and more than fifty-three injured?

Lay people and religious have offered valid models of how reconciliation can be done. For example, the nuns of the Sisters of St. Agnes congregation in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (USA) organized a vigil shortly after the Orlando massacre. Sister Sally Brickner told the Fond du Lac Reporter that one hundred and fifty participants “really feel that discrimination is a mistake…hate crimes are a mistake.” The vigil was the most anticipated among those that the nuns organized for various causes, revealing the profound need for this action by a Catholic group.

The Orlando incident and the response from religious sisters helps highlight two Wisconsin parishes that offer a welcoming ministry. for LGBT people. The same article that talks about the vigil of the nuns also illustrates the weekly ministry undertaken by Catholic parishes that welcome LGTB people.
At Holy Family Catholic Community in Fond du Lac, the All God's Family group meets every two months. Here, accompanied by Brother Ryan Preuss, gays, lesbians and their families share their stories and discuss how they can engage in the teaching of the Catholic Church. Barbara Lent, coordinator of the group, explained to the Reporter: “Everyone is the same… it's just who you love. You really should have the right to love who you want. Sometimes [changes] take time, but you shouldn't give up'”

Il Good Shepherd Catholic Church a Menomonee Falls (USA) ospita il Gay and Straight in Christ, del quale la fondatrice Ann Castiglione ha detto: “È importante che tutti siano accolti nella nostra chiesa. [Le persone LGBT non] si sentono accolte, così dobbiamo cercare di fare qualcosa nel nostro piccolo angolo di mondo‘”.

Francis DeBernardo, direttore esecutivo di New Ways Ministry, ha spiegato al giornalista i motivi che stanno dietro questi gruppi: “Il sostegno cattolico alle persone LGBT c’è perché chi li sostiene è cattolico, non a dispetto di questo”.

Comunque DeBernardo ha criticato quei vescovi che “sono molto negativi nel loro approccio alle tematiche LGBT”. La maggioranza delle risposte dei vescovi statunitensi sulla strage gay di Orlando hanno messo a dura prova proprio la pazienza delle persone LGBT, che affermano invece di voler trattare con “rispetto, compassione e sensibilità”. Solo una manciata di vescovi degli Stati Uniti ha riconosciuto che è stato preso di mira un locale gay, e anche di meno hanno ammesso la complicità della Chiesa nell’incoraggiare i pregiudizi contro la comunità LGBT.

Nel suo editoriale sulla strage il National Catholic Reporter (un settimanale cattolico americano) ha dichiarato: “The Orlando massacre was a heinous hate crime, a moment that cries out for moral outrage, for the world to wake up to the horrific reality. What the Catholic community got from the president of its United States Episcopal Conference were three sentences of hypocritical hot air, apart from the use of the term 'violence', which could have referred to a natural or aviation disaster...
It's nice to have some outspoken members of the hierarchy who understand that intolerance breeds contempt and violence, but we shouldn't wait for the bishops to speak. The laity are leading them on this topic and with a strong and persistent voice, we can and must work against discrimination based on sexuality and gender in our society and in our Church".

It is not too late for other bishops to engage positively with LGBT people and their families, in the Church and outside. Dennis Sullivan, Catholic bishop of Camden, wrote in the Catholic Herald about the Orlando massacre: “With a heart torn apart by the deaths, I doubt that the victims were struck precisely because of their sexual orientation. No human being should have to endure the hatred of others. Hatred is an affront to God."
“As Christians we are subject to the Law of Christ, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' This is his new commandment. 'Each other' includes gay people. A Catholic who shows hatred towards a person – for their sexual orientation, their religion or the color of their skin – needs to seek God's forgiveness. Where does this hatred come from? And why are homosexual people too frequently the victims?"
"Our LGBT brothers and sisters are even more like the image of God than I am. Their sexual orientation does not diminish them in the eyes of God. As someone who is loved by their homosexual relatives and friends, and who loves them equally, I fear that they too could be victims of this hatred".

In a letter to the Catholics who gathered to pray for Orlando, Archbishop J. Michael Miller of Vancouver (USA) expressed particular sadness because the victims were “targeted because they identified with the LGBT community".

The lesson in building bridges after Orlando may be that actions are much more important than words today if the Church wants to be truly close to LGBT people.
A concept reiterated by Caitlin Opperman, a queer Latina student at Georgetown University in Washington, who wrote in the campus newspaper The Hoya: “We can't forget that Pulse was an LGBT venue. We can't forget that it was a Latin night. We cannot forget that it was Latinos, and more particularly Puerto Ricans, who bore the brunt of this tragedy. We cannot allow people to use this massacre to indulge Islamophobia. We cannot remain silent on the issue of gun control. We must recognize that machismo is toxic. We must understand, and accept, that queer people of color need safe spaces. But more than anything, we need to act. Silence and inaction perpetuate violence against members of my community and other oppressed groups. We are living in fear. We need more than thoughts and prayers.
“To the forty-nine beautiful queer people whose lives were taken on July 12, que en paz descansen [rest in peace]. I hope that wherever you are, you will continue to dance".

The National Catholic Reporter editorial emphasizes that lay people must lead the way if Church leaders remain silent. The editorialist writes that Catholics do not “they must wait for a directive or approval from above to know what to do in this extreme circumstance". "The Catholic community recognizes a hate crime when it sees one and must do all it can to promote understanding and tolerance… bearing in mind that the Church's tradition of social justice and steadfast Christian commitment to the common good could have exceptional influence in changing the status quo. Together, we can say no to the violence of gun culture. We can say yes to gender justice and acceptance".

How did you or your Christian community say yes to justice and acceptance after the gay massacre in Orlando? Have you witnessed bridges being built between LGBT people and church leaders? Please let us know.

Original text: Catholics Recommit to Bridge Building after Orlando Tragedy