Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  IDENTITY

Spirituality: GLBT Catholics
by AMY MATHENY
2005-05-01

This article shared 3320 times since Sun May 1, 2005
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


People from around the world mourned the passing of Pope John Paul II. His funeral was one of the largest gatherings of our time, as Catholics and people touched by his life's work gathered for a special last mass with him. Many GLBT Catholics struggle with the strictures of the Catholic institution and yet some have joined together to make their own way with their faith. Bryan Cones from Dignity Chicago joins us to discuss this complicated loss. Much like our biological family, our family of faith brings us sorrow and joy.

Bryan Cones

A long way to go for GLBT Catholics:

GLBT Catholics, like many other church members, have mixed emotions on the death of Pope John Paul II. On the one hand, he was Catholicism's most recognizable figure, at times prophetic in his call for greater economic and political justice, and personally engaging to a fault. On the other hand, many Catholics — women, Catholics both married and divorced, and many proponents of the reforms initiated in the 1960s by the Second Vatican Council — see John Paul's pontificate as a singular defeat for the changes many hope for, from an inclusive priesthood to increased authority for lay people. And there are, no doubt, some who are simply relieved this long papacy is finally over.

We GLBT Catholics, however, no matter what our personal feelings about the pope as a person, have suffered some of their hardest knocks under John Paul II. Among the earliest was the 1986 'Letter to the bishops of the church on the pastoral care of homosexual persons,' which labeled homosexuality itself — as opposed to same-gender sex acts — as an 'objective disorder' to an 'intrinsic moral evil,' a declaration that resulted in the expulsion of Dignity, a Catholic GLBT advocacy group, from church property. Further statements, from the 1993 Catechism of the Catholic Church to the 2003 Vatican condemnation of same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by same-sex couples, were equally if not more negative. The latter even suggested that placing children with same-sex couples was actually a form of violence against them.

Although it's hard to trace these documents straight to John Paul himself, he certainly did nothing to prevent his administration from upping the ante on gay issues. He did issue one particularly disappointing statement on the occasion of a gay pride festival in 2000. He expressed 'deep bitterness at the affront to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and the offense to Christian values' that the festival represented. That statement could well summarize his administration's general attitude to gay issues as a whole.

Some no doubt wonder why GLBT Catholics bother to continue membership in an institution that seems so dead-set against their interests. Many of us point out the fact that John Paul, as a man of a certain age, simply carried the same visceral prejudice against homosexuality and negativity about the sexual revolution in general as many in his generation. Indeed, no one who questioned the Vatican line on sex, birth control, and marriage fared any better under John Paul II. Besides, there is much more to Catholicism than sexual teaching, and the church, the whole community of baptized people, is a lot bigger than the pope.

Still, it seems unlikely that a new pope, even if he had the inclination, would be able to alter John Paul's 26-year course in any reasonable amount of time. Indeed, few GLBT Catholics hope for much from the next pope on their issues. The first step of reversing the 1986 letter declaring a same-sex orientation a 'disorder' seems far away; gay marriage is a complete non-starter. None of the recognized papal candidates has expressed anything other than the party line regarding sexual matters.

There is a hope, however, that the election of a pope from the developing world, while not resulting in any real change in teaching, may draw attention away from arguments about sexuality to the more pressing global issues of economic justice. [ See related story on the new Pope. ] Removing that pressure would give GLBT Catholics, as well as pastors and theologians who support them, time to find ways to engage the larger church in a more constructive way. Indeed, in many places in the United States, Catholic parishes have quietly accepted GLBT Catholics, their partners, and their families into the community.

In the meantime GLBT Catholics will continue to do what we've always done: Be involved on the local level, in parishes and groups like Dignity, as priests and parish ministers, as teachers, writers and theologians. Change in an ancient, tradition-bound institution like the Roman Catholic Church doesn't often come through democratic action in the political sense but in the progressive change of attitudes at all levels. Few would be surprised if in a number of years some church document began, 'As the church has always taught, homosexual members of the church possess the full dignity of the baptized,' followed by a substantial change in direction. Until that day, we, like most Catholics and other Christians, trust in the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to guide the church to gospel fullness. In other words, we live in hope.

Bryan Cones holds a master's degree in theology from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and is a former board member of Dignity/Chicago, a chapter of Dignity/USA ( www.dignityusa.org ) , an advocacy organization for GLBT Roman Catholics founded in 1969.


This article shared 3320 times since Sun May 1, 2005
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

VIEWS Mike Johnson: The smiling face of Christian tyranny 2024-02-14
- Mike Johnson wants to rewrite the constitution to make the United States a Christian nation. James Michael Johnson, Republican from Louisiana's Fourth District, is the 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was ...


Gay News

VIEWS Parents, not legislators, should be making decisions about medical options for children 2024-02-06
By Jeffery M. Leving - No matter the medical issue, when it comes to kids, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said something last December that every lawmaker in the country should realize when it comes to medical decisions for children. "Were House ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Sundance items, Green Day, 'Wednesday,' Queerties, 'The Wiz' 2024-01-26
- At the Sundance Film Festival, Jodie Foster told Variety that the $1.4-billion success of Barbie helps confirm that Hollywood no longer views women directors as too much of a risk. She said, "With a big success ...


Gay News

VIEWS Is the Pope Catholic? Francis faces opposition in steps toward LGBTQ+ inclusivity 2024-01-02
- The recent change in Vatican policy allowing priests to bless same-gender couples has provoked an unprecedented backlash against Pope Francis and his openness to LGBTQ+ people—a backlash that some fear might devolve into a schism in ...


Gay News

Bring Chicago Home: Guess who's saying no again 2023-12-04
Commentary by Bob Palmer and Mark Swartz - Chicago is ushering in an era of change with a new progressive mayor with a vision to invest in communities long ignored and a significant increase in like-minded city council members. We are excited to see ...


Gay News

Pope Francis's community of transwomen 2023-11-28
- It's a rare opportunity to meet the pope. It's even rarer if you're a transgender Catholic. However, on Nov. 19, in Torvaianica, Italy, a community of transwomen, many of them sex workers, were welcomed and seated ...


Gay News

Banning the Banning of Books: Illinois and California lead the way 2023-10-26
- In June, at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation banning book bans in Illinois public libraries. This legislation, initiated by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, passed the Illinois House and ...


Gay News

OPINION Renewing state's Invest in Kids program is investing in anti-LGBTQ+ hate 2023-10-23
- In February 2020, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield warned transgender students in the Diocese's educational system that they "may be expelled from the school" if they live their lives authentically. Lansing Christian School ...


Gay News

Gilbert Baker Foundation reacts to death of shop owner who flew the rainbow flag 2023-08-29
--From a press release - In response to the murder of Laura Ann Carleton over flying the Rainbow flag in her shop in California, the Gilbert Baker Foundation released the statement below. Facebook refused to post the statement as it did not "...meet their standards." ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT U.S. higher education under siege; freedom of inquiry and speech at risk 2023-07-03
- The Covid pandemic threw a harsh spotlight on higher education in America, exposing forces eating away at the foundations of college and university learning, calling into question the traditional purposes of such education in our post-modern, ...


Gay News

Guest essay by Florida mom Nicole Pejovich: What's Happening to Florida's Public Schools? 2023-06-19
Related video below - A queer Florida parent answers questions about recent laws, how Floridians are coping, and how you can help Books pulled from school library shelves by the dozens. All evidence of inclusivity stripped from classrooms. The politically ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT For divorced parents, transgender children's health can present tricky dilemmas 2023-06-12
- Over the last few months, issues impacting individuals who identify as transgender and non-binary are getting a lot of attention in the media and among some politicians. Sadly, because it's become a political issue; a lot ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT War in the 21st Century: mercenaries, private military companies, private armies 2023-05-20
- In 2022, $407 billion of the Pentagon budget—representing half of that year's funding —were obligated to private contractors, of which a significant number were Private Military Companies (PMCs) involved in ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT Telling the world about my mental health disorders 2023-05-04
- Over the years, coming out as a lesbian hasn't been that hard for me—because I was always too busy hiding something else. Confessing queerness can be a breeze compared to revealing mental illness. But I decline ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT German bishops endorse blessings of same-sex couples: Ancient rituals retturn 2023-03-31
- This March, at a national meeting of leaders of the German Catholic Church (referred to as a synod), a document titled Blessing Ceremonies for Couples who Love Each Other" received overwhelming support: 176 votes in favor, ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.