Young LGBT Catholics meet at World Youth Day in Krakow

Article by Francis DeBernardo published on Bondings 2.0, blog of the Catholic association New Ways Ministry (United States), on 20 July 2016, freely translated by Silvia Lanzi

LGBT youth and their supporters will have a safe place to meet and share their faith perspectives at World Youth Day (WYD) in Poland, thanks to Faith and Rainbow, a Polish organization of LGBT Christians and at European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups, an ecumenical organization (of European LGBT Christian groups).

The “Pilgrim's Haven”, which will be hosted in a café in Krakow's Jewish neighborhood of Kazimierz, will offer hospitality and a program of presentations and discussions for pilgrims awaiting the WYD weekend, whose program is sponsored by the Vatican and hosted by the bishops Poles. The Pilgrim's Haven is not an official part of the program, but organizers feel it fills an important gap, since there is nowhere else for LGBT pilgrims and their friends to meet. WYD will be held (in Poland) from 26 July to 1 August and hundreds of thousands of young Catholics are expected.

Misha Czerniak, one of the organizers, told (Polish website) Queer.pl: “We wanted to create a 'safe space' where people attending World Youth Day can talk, discuss topics of faith, orientation or gender identity, in a safe and friendly situation. Such a space was missing from WYD".

Czerniak said Faith and Rainbow members contacted Bishop Damian Muskus, but were told that Pilgrim's Haven could not be part of the official program. However, the Polish LGBT group will invite the Polish bishops to stop and meet the young people gathered there.
Czerniak said that the organizers had cordial meetings with Krakow Bishop Grzegorz Rys and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz and hope that this kindness of the bishops “will inspire Pope Francis to make positive statements about LGBT people".

Pilgrim's Haven has one Facebook page, which includes a program of events in Polish and English. The first presentation at the center will be the screening of “In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick's Journey of Faith” a documentary by award-winning filmmaker Barbara Rick, which chronicles the life and commitment to the LGBT world of the co-founder of New Ways Ministry (whose ancestors, coincidentally, are Polish).

In the following days two films by Brendan Fay will be screened: “Remembering Mychal” on the New York Fire Department chaplain, openly gay Brother Mychal Judge, OFM, who died at the Trade Center on September 11; “Taking a Chance on God” about John McNeill, the theologian who first criticized the Catholic Church's exclusion of sexual expression by homosexuals.

Among other events, Marcela Kościańczuk, a religious scholar and member of Faith and Rainbow, will offer many pastoral presentations and Michael Brinkschroder, a Catholic theologian and sociologist former co-president of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups, will discuss topics of spirituality and morals.

Pilgrim's Haven will be at Ogniwo Cafe, 28 Paulińska Street, Krakow. In addition to the program of presentations, the Facebook page describes the opportunities that Pilgrim's Haven will offer:

“The spot is open for those who wish to rest a bit from the heat and crowds. Many lay and religious volunteers will also be available, ready to listen, talk about topics of faith, sexual orientation and gender identity, and also to offer spiritual guidance or pray together.
We invite LGBT faithful, but also non-Catholics or those who do not belong to the Church, and all those who want to spend some time with us".

At the 2013 World Youth Day in Brazil, a group of LGBT pilgrims and their supporters attended the program and engaged in dialogue with young people from around the world. They received a lot of positive reactions. Their participation was sponsored by the Equally Blessed coalition formed by Call To Action, DignityUSA, Fortunate Families, New Ways Ministry.

Pope Francis will be in Krakow for the five days of WYD, and will close the event with a mass on July 31st. It was on his return from his first WYD that he made his famous statement “Who am I to judge?”, the first indication that, under his pontificate, the problems of LGBT people should be treated differently than what had been done until then.

Wouldn't it be great if Pope Francis made history again during this WYD by visiting Pilgrim's Haven and entertaining young people there? While security concerns do not make this possible, perhaps the pontiff could simply direct his attention towards LGBT youth in his public statements during the five-day event. LGBT issues are a high social priority of the next generation and Pope Francis has already shown a willingness to talk about these topics in a new and candid way.
World Youth Day could be a great opportunity for him to broaden his request for forgiveness towards the LGBT community and to continue to ask members of the Church to dialogue with those people he has historically ostracized.

Original text: LGBT Welcome Center for World Youth Day in Poland