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Father James Martin, Advocate for LGBTQ Catholics, Received by Pope Francis

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Father James Martin, Advocate for LGBTQ Catholics, Received by Pope Francis B NDINGS Vol. 39 No. 1 A Publication of New Ways Ministry Winter 2019-2020 Father James Martin, Advocate for LGBTQ Catholics, Received by Pope Francis By Francis DeBernardo Besides recogniz- for an outstretched hand of welcome Bondings 2.0 ing Fr. Martin’s from the church that they love. NewWaysMinistry.org/blog ministry, this This meeting is one of the many September 20, 2019 meeting is also an ways that Pope Francis has been sending affirmation of the out the message that he wants the church Father James Martin, SJ, author thousands of to do more affirming pastoral initiatives of Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Catholics around with the LGBTQ community. Just this Church and the LGBT Community Can the U.S. and past weekend, it became known that the Enter into a Relationship of Respect, around the globe pope restored priestly functions to Fr. Compassion, and Sensitivity, was re- who have been James Alison, a prominent, openly gay ceived this morning by Pope Francis in a reaching out pas- theologian. Earlier this year, the private audience at the Vatican. torally to LGBTQ pope greeted a group of LGBTQ and ally Fr. Martin, whose book is based on people and their pilgrims from the Westminster Diocese, the lecture he gave when he received families in the England, who attended the papal audi- New Ways Ministry’s Bridge Building ways that Fr. ence in St. Peter’s Square. He has met Award in 2016, has become a leading Martin has de- with a transgender Catholic man, re- advocate for LGBTQ ministry in the scribed in his ceived a gay former student along with Catholic Church. Since the publication book. This is a his partner, invited and met with Bishop of the book in 2017, he has been tireless Fr. James Martin talks with Pope Francis. day of rejoicing Jacques Gaillot, an advocate for LGBTQ in spreading the word about LGBTQ for the many lay people and relationships, affirmed the inclusion in the church’s pastoral life. ral ministry, already praised by bishops, people, nuns, priests, brothers, deacons, transgender ministry of an Argentinian This meeting with the pope refutes archbishops, and cardinals, has won the theologians who have quietly and persis- nun, and wrote a friendly note to a group the unjustified barrage of criticism he has approval of the highest levels of the tently, often in the face of harsh and in- of LGBTQ Catholics which meets in received from a minority of church lead- church. It is a clear signal that Pope sensitive criticism, continued to follow Florence, Itay. In 2015, a group of New ers and other anti-LGBTQ sectors of the Francis is calling the church to conver- Jesus’ command to reach out to all peo- Ways Ministry pilgrims received VIP church. Even more so, it recognizes that sion away from the negative messages it ple, especially those marginalized and seats for the Ash Wednesday papal audi- Fr. Martin’s approach to LGBTQ pasto- has sent in the past about LGBTQ peo- misunderstood. It is a day of celebration ence in St. Peter’s Square. ple. for LGBTQ Catholics who have longed German Cardinal, Key Bishop Endorse Church Blessings for LGBTQ Couples By Robert Shine “At the same time, Marx empha- Elsewhere in Germany, Bishop and the question of women’s ordination Bondings 2.0 sized that homosexuals are welcome in Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück affirmed are not an “all-or-nothing affair,” but NewWaysMinistry.org/blog the church. If people in same-sex rela- his support for church blessings a third rather reform would “only come step-by- January 3, 2020 tionships have been faithful for years and time. Novena News reported: step and in synchrony with the world are there for one another, then the “On the subject of pastoral care for Church and with Rome.” As vice-pres- Two leaders of the German Bishops’ Church must not ‘bracket out negatively” gay couples, Bishop Bode was equally ident of the German Bishops’ Confer- Conference have offered support for about this life and say that it was worth clear: the basic principle of love should ence and leading the Synodal Way’s church blessings of same-gender couples. nothing. ‘I get criticism for this from be the moral-theological yardstick for all working group on women, Bode has a Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich some sides,’ said the Archbishop of Mu- human relationships, including partner- key role to play in that process overall. and Freising stated in an interview that nich. ‘Some say: It goes too far. Others: ship and sexuality. Bode first issued his support for same-gender couples could receive a It doesn’t go far enough.'” “We in the Church ‘should approach these blessings in 2018, calling on the church blessing, reported Katholisch.de: With this latest statement, Marx, this area [sexuality] more positively, church to consider positive elements in “According to Cardinal Reinhard who is a close advisor to Pope Francis closer to people and closer to life’, insist- same-gender relationships beyond just Marx, homosexual couples can receive a and chair of the German Bishops’ Con- ed the bishop. writing them off as gravely sinful. In blessing ‘in the sense of pastoral care’ in ference, has reversed his 2018 posi- “Bode thereby hinted at the possibil- January 2019, he repeated this sup- the Catholic Church. But no marriage- tion against blessings for same-gender ity of establishing official Church bless- port saying he was “sure that the catego- like relationship is blessed with this, he couple. At that time, Marx said the issue ings for gay couples – in the line, at least, ry of blessing will play a role” in the said in an interview with Stern on Mon- was not a priority for the German episco- of recent suggestions of German Bish- pastoral accompaniment of LGBTQ peo- day. Marriage is also not possible. ‘The pate. But the topic has taken on new life ops’ President Cardinal Reinhard Marx.” ple. Bode added at that time, “We must sacrament of marriage is based on the as the German church begins its Synodal Bode, however, dampened expecta- not always treat homosexuality from the faithful relationship between man and Way process to examine issues in church tions that the Synodal Way could lead to point of view of serious sin.” woman, which is open to children.’ life, including sexual morality. church blessings, warning that this issue Austrian priest celebrates “liturgy of thanksgiving” for lesbian civil marriage By Novena News was “not a sacramental liturgy,” due to “At the same time it is stated there Wolfsburg, is well-known in Austria for Novenanews.com the current Church ban on same-sex mar- that the partnership-like connection of the two cabaret acts he has written since November 14, 2019 riage. two homosexuals cannot be equalled being ordained in 1997. But the spokesman did say that with marriage (251). Both of these things Before he came to the diocese of An Austrian priest Kopp “celebrated Michael Kopp has followed”. Graz-Seckau in January this year, Kopp has celebrated a “lit- a liturgy of Photos of the thanksgiving liturgy was a “family pastor” in the diocese of urgy of thanksgiving” thanksgiving for the two women were published to a Gurk. for two lesbians who with two civilly- Polish social media account are both believing married women before finding their way to ul- Christians” and are in who are both traconservative Catholic web- a civil marriage. believing Chris- sites, which quickly protested A spokesman for tians and who over the images’ similarity to the diocese of Graz- had both found wedding photos. Seckau confirmed their way out of One photo features the two November 11 that a personal crises women lighting a candle to- series of photos on with the help of gether before the altar, while social media of the the Catholic another one shows priest Kopp two women in wed- Church”. with his hand raised over the ding clothes came Stanzer quot- couple in a blessing. from a service con- ed as support for Other images feature de- ducted by Father Mi- the service Pope tails such as flower girls, family chael Kopp in St. Mar- Francis’ 2016 members and chairs with rib- garet’s church in Fr. Michael Kopp blessing a lesbian apostolic exhor- bons for the couple at the front The couple lights the candle together during Wolfsburg. couple during a liturgy of thanksgiv- tation on love in of the church, as well as the two their liturgy of thanksgiving. “The basic ques- ing. the family, Amoris women holding hands, exchang- tion is if homosexual laetitia. ing rings, embracing, and processing in people can feel them- “Every person, and out of the service. Earlier this year, Kopp said that selves at home in the Church,” Thomas regardless of sexual orientation, ought to Suspicions aside, however, it is easy family is “the root of every personal life Stanzer told kath.net on Monday. be respected in his or her dignity and to believe the diocese’s account of the existence.” “Family spiritual advisor Michael treated with consideration, while ‘every service, and to see in the women’s big The priest added that the concept of Kopp answered ‘yes’ to this question,” sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be smiles the relief that would come with family embraces “every form of relation- the spokesman explained. carefully avoided, the Post-Synodal Ap- finding a “way out of personal crises” ship among people in the most diverse Stanzer was careful to point out that ostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia (250) with the Church’s help.
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