The time has come for Archbishop Blase Cupich to make a gesture to Chicago's LGBT community about healing and reconciliation. Cupich, for his part, has said the altar rail should not be a place of politicization, unlike his predecessor Cardinal Francis George, who used the Holy Eucharist as a baseball bat to keep lay Catholic individuals and organizations in line. Cupich also called on individuals to move beyond their comfort zones—an idea he needs honor in his own walk of faith with the Chicago's LGBT community.
He also said that he is willing to engage those in the Church who he might disagree with. Sadly, we have seen no public gestures that would back up such statements, other than to say he would not deny pro-choice politicians communion. Is he willing to say the same about pro-marriage-equality politicians?
Many in the LGBT community have witnessed this type of hierarchal foot-dragging before and can no longer tolerate such forms of homophobia in our mists. I do not believe such a position to be unreasonable, given our history with the Archdiocese of Chicago. The face of homophobia is difficult to look at in the Church. If we ever want to change that in the Church, we must not only look at it but also meditate on it.
Two things recently happened that troubles me.
The first: Colin Collette worked at Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness for 17 years before being terminated from the job in late July after he announced his same-sex engagement on Facebook.
At the time, Rev. Terence Keehan told him that his relationship violated the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church. This was done on the direct instructions of Cardinal George. Collette met with the George to get his job back, only to encounter further foot-dragging from George. It is time for Cupich to address this grave injustice.
The second was a letter I sent to Cupich in which I invited the archbishop to come to Boystown—outside of the confines of a religious service—where he could meet, greet and listen to the stories of hard-working LGBT people. The response so far has been a reply that my letter had been received and was passed along to Cupich. To date, I have received no further communication.
George did not honor his word to have a follow-up meeting with Collette; uppermost in peoples minds is Cupich's sincerity in these matters. That is why I have said it is time for him to make a public gesture to Chicago's LGBT community.
Joe Murray
Executive Director
Rainbow Sash Movement ( LGBT Catholics )
