Voice of the Faithful - In the Vineyard

“Rejoice always, never cease praying, render constant thanks; such is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test everything; retain what is good.” 1 Thes 5:16-21

VOTF at Work in the World
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Jim Post reminds us that December 13 is an anniversary no one in VOTF should forget. On that day in 2002, Boston's Cardinal Law resigned. As Jim says, "That day remains the one day during the past four years when the Vatican did 'get it right.'"

National VOTF action to support all priests of integrity regardless of their sexual orientation sparked nationwide VOTF participation. VOTF Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Fall River wore ribbons in the liturgical color of hope – green – to Masses last weekend and at Sunday evening vigils. SUPPORTERS are encouraged to CONTINUE wearing the green ribbons to Masses in visible support of our priests. “If we are to believe the church's own contention that only 4 percent of priests are pedophiles and researchers' assessment that anywhere from one-third to one-half of presently ordained priests are homosexuals, the eligibility of gays for the priesthood is already proven.” Joan Chittister, NCR .

Statutes of Limitation discussions are drawing lively and constructive interest. Will civil suits help survivors at the expense of many fine parishes? Will criminal suits effect greater safety for children? In Commentary Fr. Tom Doyle argues for changes in statutes of limitation.

Vineyard readers will remember coverage provided in the March 2005 issue of what has been happening to the Catholics of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in St. Louis, MO, at the hands of their diocesan leadership. “In a defiant challenge to Archbishop Raymond Burke's authority as the leader of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the board of directors of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church has hired a Roman Catholic priest from the neighboring diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau to be its parish pastor.” This faith community of life-long Catholics had each other and one more priest of integrity to see them through a shattering experience. See St. Louis Today , NewsChannel Five and the Kansas City Star .

VOTF National Communications - The monthly Communications Discussion Groups have begun with great enthusiasm. We had representatives from VOTF affiliates across the country participating in our initial December sessions. These small discussion groups will deal with meeting promotion, press interviews, national and local topics of interest, etc. It’s a great opportunity to discuss your communications questions and learn some of the “best practices” of other affiliates. VOTF National is providing conference call coverage for these discussions. If you would like to participate, please contact Communications Director, John Moynihan jmoynihan@votf.org, 617 558 5252. Discussions will be held monthly on Wednesday and Thursday nights and will last about an hour. The next meetings will be Wednesday, January 11 @ 7:00 PM and Thursday, January 12 @ 8:00 PM.

VOTF vice president Kris Ward has identified some handy e-addresses for those wishing to correspond with our leadership in Rome. Kris notes, “In my conversations in Rome during the time of conclave, I was told that communications are read; some segments of the Church communicate in abundance; notice is taken among Curia aides who have cross-conversations in Curia departments; and of course, aides have conversations with their bosses.”

Quote for our time:
“… the experience of the meeting, and of getting to know Tom Doyle, has greatly helped the whistle blowers in this diocese, ending their lonely isolation. Voice of the Faithful has given Derry the realisation that this home diocese of Colmcille of Iona is now firmly part of an international Catholic network bent on restoring compassion and integrity to our Church - and on placing lay people in a leadership role.” Sean O’Conaill speaking of Tom Doyle’s visit to Derry. Read more at www.votfireland.com

Tom Doyle Wins Hearts and Minds in Ireland
Report from Sean O’Conaill, VOTF Ireland

The Dublin meeting on Friday Dec. 2 in All Hallows College produced lively discussion, and no dissent from Tom Doyle's superb analysis of the failure of the church system we have inherited. Colm O'Gorman's presentation began with a reading of a letter from the former Cardinal Ratzinger, in which we had a great example of the blame-shifting that Tom spoke about. He and Tom were a superb speaking team.

About fifty people attended the Dublin meeting. As Tom says, the energy in VOTF in Dublin will depend upon making contact with more Dublin survivors - people whose anger against the church has not yet found an outlet within the church. The state inquiry into the Dublin archdiocese, due to start very soon, may provide us with such an opportunity.

From both the Derry and Dublin meetings, I believe VOTF established itself as a serious force that won’t go away any time soon; there was considerable interest at the Dublin meeting in the Derry gathering (Derry is in the north-west and therefore far more typical of Ireland's Catholic grassroots).

The Derry meeting was different, and, from all accounts, a resounding triumph, especially for the energetic support that was expressed there on behalf of VOTF's mission and core goals. There was one initial kerfuffle from one woman but she found herself alone against a vigorous lobby for her to leave - which she then did. Tom needed only to wait for this to pass and was then listened to raptly by an audience of about 110 people.

Most importantly, many in this audience had been deeply hurt, either directly by clerical child sex abuse, or by the revelation that their church leaders could have so badly let down their fellow Catholics. One woman made a vigorous and highly articulate attack upon the behaviour of the bishop of the diocese, Seamus Hegarty, saying that nothing could change until he went.

A priest (one of about six who were present) was heard to say "Hear, Hear!" There was considerable applause for this quite unprecedented gesture in this city.

After Tom's impeccable presentation there were many who wished to speak; the meeting went on for over four hours. Most importantly, Tom then generously met with anyone who particularly wished to speak to him. Some who did so had never before been able to unburden themselves of their pain, and were deeply grateful.

Important one-to-one contacts were made for the first time, allowing us to believe that our core group has expanded considerably, and that we are putting in place an enduring support network for survivors that will continue to grow. Furthermore, there were people present from the neighbouring diocese of Raphoe who will be carrying good news of us into west Donegal.

Finally, the experience of the meeting, and of getting to know Tom Doyle, has greatly helped the whistle blowers in this diocese, ending their lonely isolation. Voice of the Faithful has given Derry the realisation that this home diocese of Colmcille of Iona is now firmly part of an international Catholic network bent on restoring compassion and integrity to our Church - and on placing lay people in a leadership role.

This weekend was a Derry, and an all-Ireland, watershed. Things are very much better than they were just a week ago - and they will never be quite the same again.

I cannot adequately express my gratitude to God for Tom's kindliness, approachability to all, wisdom, calm and humility – nor my appreciation for the generosity of a VOTF couple in Boston, whose initial donation made these meetings possible. My way to express that best is just to hang in there, praying hard - knowing the graces that wait in abundance for all who will join us from now on.

The Saturday drive from Dublin to Derry, ferrying Tom to a city that needed him so badly, will live forever in my memory. I learned so much from him - and was so struck by his manner of supporting the newly sprung movement “Body of the Church” in Armagh.

These are rosary-praying Irish Catholics from all over the island, outraged by the treatment of the Maynooth whistle-blower Fr Gerald McGinnity – “rustificated” by our hierarchy for warning against Micheal Ledwith back about 1985. The latter went on to become president of our major seminary - and then to embarrass his supporters still further by falling under the miasma of clerical child sex abuse, which forced his resignation. Tom assured them that what they were doing made him proud.

POST Post

How many ways can we tease yet another metaphor out of the name “Jim Post”? Surely Jim has a folder of some-tired and some-true witticisms at the expense and benefit of his surname. My own reference comes from the first few weeks of VOTF when, as I think of it, Jim Post got “posted” to a longer tenure as president of VOTF than he had anticipated.

It was Jim Muller who identified Jim in the earliest days of VOTF. Maybe at our third meeting, Jim Muller said to me (more than once) – “Keep an eye on the BU professor” and “What do you think of the BU professor?” Jim’s voice was clear, articulate, forceful, respectful and uncommonly (and contagiously) confident that our small group was onto something long, long overdue. His message was fixed – we would do all in our power for as long as it would take to right the unspeakable wrongs of so many. Jim announced, and made good on, the end of what he called “couch potato Catholicism.”

In these best and worst of times in our Church, VOTF has been piloted by Jim Post. He has kept the faith alongside the rest of us, worked to change the Church alongside the rest of us, and called attention to the lay voice in a way few could have managed (and, significantly, none other has). When VOTF started to articulate that the laity are not going away, Jim’s sheer force of conviction gave our grassroots movement the gravitas it needed. His conviction became that of one person here, eleven there, fifty somewhere else – at colleges and universities; gatherings both large and small in Catholic parishes and non-Catholic “havens”; TV and radio interviews, newspapers, magazines and books; and all the “c” places – Council meetings, corporate think tanks, conference calls, conventions and convocations.

What VOTF needed in 2002 was credibility – from that would come staying power. If one could reduce all of Jim’s VOTF contributions to one gift, it is the credibility the organization has earned (“the old-fashioned way”) by his leadership – this, despite everything from outright hostility among certain Church leaders to fringe blog vitriol. No one has maintained what Jim calls “a laser beam focus” on our three goals better than Jim – nor has anyone had to fend off as many assaults on that focus!

There is so much left to say to this one volunteer extraordinaire who has done so very much to keep VOTF on the landscape of the Church in the early, early days of this 21st Century. I know we will have opportunities to do so – each in our own way. For the moment, I believe I can speak for thousands: Jim – thank you, Godspeed, and keep us posted!

PLT

It has been part of being Catholic and being a member of a parish for as long as current memory: One Sunday morning it is announced from the pulpit that your pastor has been reassigned by the Bishop. You hear for the first time the name of your new pastor. It is a heart wrenching moment in the life of every Catholic, but an action that is felt to be inevitable and to be endured. It is part of our Catholic identity. But is it truly? Being a faith rooted in the authority of tradition, too often our sense of tradition relates only to recent history. As Catholics we have forgotten our powerful, Spirit-filled roots as “church.” We have collectively abrogated the mission given to all of us as recipients of the Spirit of the Risen Christ in baptism.

Catholics know what a new pastor can mean. First of all, he personally affects each member of the parish; he affects our spiritual and faith lives. Add to this a recent tradition wherein the pastor brings the defining parish agenda with him upon reassignment. Through current experience Catholics know that the entire character of a worshipping community can be changed with a change of pastoral leadership. As “church” we seem to allow this to happen, over and over. Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes we do not, and the consequences for the life of the parish can be deadly. It is an interesting phenomenon especially in light of the genuine Christian tradition elucidated in our sacred scripture. Here is the source of our understanding of what it means to be “church.” The Greek word “ekklesia” is the original word of scripture that the Western world has translated as “church.” The latter is rarely used in the four synoptic Gospels. In the Gospels there were the followers of Jesus, the disciples. This was their identification.

It wasn’t until Christ’s death and resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit of the Risen Christ that we find the growth of the use of the word “church” to mean those disciples who gather in various locales throughout the Roman Empire for worship and community based on faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. The Acts of the Apostles,attributed to the evangelist Luke, is truly the story of the going forth of “Christianity” from Jerusalem to the world. And from Acts and the epistles of Paul, we come to understand the true origins of Christian “church.” What defined a “church” is clear to us – faith, discipleship, worship and community. From the earliest post-Resurrection days, the identity of believers as being “church” begins to develop. It has very little to do with what is recognized as “church” in the 21st Century. As we learn in Acts “Peter was kept in prison: but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” (Acts 12:5) A loosely defined community of believers in Jesus as the Christ at prayer is emerging as “church.”

And what does leadership in this church look like? That too emerges from a reading of Acts and the Pauline letters. Whatever form “leadership” takes, its function from the earliest days is to bear witness to the resurrection (the meaning of “apostle”) and to preach repentance and redemption through Jesus the Christ to build up the Kingdom of God preached by Jesus.

There is a particular rhythm to the growth of the faith, and growth of “church” in these earliest church documents. Disciples, such as Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy travel to places to speak of Jesus and what has been accomplished through Jesus the Christ. The message, the recalling of the work and teachings, carries authority; Jesus the Christ, His life, teachings, suffering, death and resurrection are authoritative. At this time, there are still people alive who knew Jesus, were witnesses to His resurrection, or knew other disciples who were witnesses to the reality of Christ’s life or death and resurrection. What is crucial to the early spread of the gospel of Jesus the Christ, is the acceptance of this authoritative message by the people whose hearts and minds have been converted. Lives radically change because of acceptance of the message. Like-minded people, people whose hearts have been converted, choose to gather to reinforce their acceptance of a new way of living in the world – a “Christian” life. Their worship becomes centered on Christ and the meal of remembrance that makes Christ present to them in community.

The origins of “church” lie in accepting the message of Jesus Christ that results in the conversion of hearts. A force of early Christian life was the spread of the “good news.” This evangelizing spirit animated all of earliest Christianity. It was the gift presented to all believers at Pentecost. The mission of Christ was to be carried out by all believers and the mission of the earliest believers was to spread the good news. These earliest communities of believers felt intimately connected to the larger mission of Christ and the spreading of “the word.” In prayer, with financial help, they sent selected persons forth to journey to other cities, other lands, to spread the word and, therefore, build up the Kingdom of God on this earth.

It was always seen as a function of believers to make sure that the faith was supported and spread. The most famous and well recorded missionary of the word was Paul of Tarsus. Paul’s life gives us the most clarifying model of leadership in the church. Paul traveled to the people, and lived among them, becoming known to them and learning local customs and understandings.

It is recorded in Acts that after preaching to the Greeks at the Areogagus, Paul left for Corinth somewhat frustrated by his lack of progress with the Athenians who had so many gods to worship in so many beautiful temples. In Corinth, he went to visit with Aquilla and his wife Priscilla, Jews exiled from Rome. He lived with them and “because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” Every Sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks. Here is the great tradition of getting to know the people of God, and gaining their acceptance so that there might be a community of people open to further hearing the truth of Jesus Christ from their friend’s mouth. Paul’s need to “convince” speaks to the understanding that hearts must be changed, that the good news must be accepted for Paul to have truly spread the faith. Implicit is Paul’s understanding that the Jews and Gentiles of Corinth, of any city or place, must be a receiving community and this can be achieved through a shared life, respect for shared customs (such as Sabbath worship and respect for the community).

This is only one model. In the letters of Paul we have examples of Paul’s outreach to new communities of “Christians” – a term recorded as being first used in the city of Ephesus. After commenting on reports of their faithfulness, Paul requests that they welcome him in the name of Jesus Christ. There is implicit understanding of the importance of welcome, of the authority of the welcoming community. The success of the mission of preaching repentance and redemption and the building up of the kingdom of God is seen as dependent on this relationship of being in respectful and proper communion. It is recorded in Acts that Paul, unwilling to settle when “some in their obstinacy and disbelief disparaged the Way before the assembly” (Acts 19:8), withdrew and held daily discussions with his disciples outside the synagogue. It is reported that this went on for two years. Minds and hearts needed to be converted, the seed planted needed patient nurturing before their would be acceptance and growth. What was going on during these years? We can only surmise.

One of the paradigms of the letters of Paul and of Acts is the sending forth and receiving of the message of Jesus Christ. There is a rhythm of traveling, of gaining acceptance, of being sent forth, of being received, of being known, of having one’s reputation affirmed because of the community that sent you forth and the community that receives you.

Certainly the very earliest people of faith in Jesus as the Christ anticipated and welcomed with interest the arrival of someone who could help them grow in the faith. They welcomed the visitor into their midst, into their community and into their lives. But, underscoring this welcome was the understanding that they were being asked to receive the word, the wisdom of the other, and they had their part to play in accepting the teachings as truth, as wise. They had to discern, to discuss, to pray in community. We have examples of teachings and persons not accepted or received well, for example, Paul in Athens.

In reading Acts and the Pauline letters which give us a sense of the early days of “church”, we are left with a sense of the responsibility of the people of God in gathering themselves together, of fostering and accepting missionary work, in recognizing a need for various ministries, and recognizing the talents for leadership in members of the faithful.

The earliest evangelists, the apostles and disciples, having listened to their master, recognized the truth of Christ’s parables of the seed and the sower. They wanted to plant their seeds, in soil properly prepared to receive and nurture, to sustain genuine life in the Spirit of the Risen Christ. Paul spent years knowing a community, gaining acceptance, before the word could be planted and a rich harvest anticipated. The goal is the continued health of the believing community, because there is a recognition that it is in community that the faith will grow, that the mission of building up the kingdom of God in this world can proceed with success.

Somehow, the current state of the church, where the people in the pews feel they must accept the leadership of their community, over their parish, without “receiving” and “accepting” does not resemble the “church” of tradition, of scripture. This contemporary model of church diminishes the dynamic role of the faith community established in the first centuries after Christ’s life, death and resurrection. This contemporary model of church belies the truth of Pentecost where the power of the Spirit of the Risen Christ was given to all so that the Kingdom of God could be attained. The dynamism missing is the acceptance of the work of the Holy Spirit in each of us, and, even more powerfully, in the community gathered.

The faithful need to relearn the lessons of Scripture which are the great tradition of our faith. We need to become more intimate with the revealed truths of Scripture that name our responsibility concerning the well-being of the faith, and our responsibility in the work of building up God’s reign. If the work of the Spirit of the Risen Christ is suppressed in the faith community gathered as “church”, gathered as a “parish,” we become agents of suppression of the work of the Spirit in us and in our world. From the earliest days of the faith, it has been recognized that it is in the community of faithful gathered that the work and word of Christ is best realized. To deny or be complicit in undercutting the vibrancy of this worshiping and faith-filled community is a serious negation of who we are as Christians.

The Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church invites all in the St. Louis Christian community to unite behind St. Stanislaus parish as it struggles to continue to provide our faith-filled Polish-American neighbors with their traditional place of worship, fellowship, and prayer. We share the sadness expressed by Archbishop Burke that conflict over possessions has added to the damage to our Catholic leadership caused by other problems.

We call upon Archbishop Burke to relate to St. Stanislaus parish within the traditional Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which requires that the smaller community decide on and administer all its own affairs for which it has capability. This was most recently advocated by Pope John Paul II:

"This is nothing other than the principle of subsidiarity, which requires that a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its rightful functions; instead the higher order should support the lower order and help it to coordinate its activity with that of the rest of society, always with a view to serving the common good (cf. Centesimus Annus, 48 [May 1, 1991]).
Public opinion needs to be educated in the importance of the principle of subsidiarity for the survival of a truly democratic society."

In the case of St. Stanislaus parish, the past century of effective stewardship is overwhelming evidence that they have exercised exemplary stewardship in their parish affairs. Consequently, it is an offense against the principle of subsidiarity to attempt to override their well-working structures.

We recommend that the good people of St. Stanislaus once again approach the Archbishop with a legally enforceable and acceptable arrangement which will establish the right of St. Stanislaus to continue to exist as a viable and faithful Catholic parish community, and to welcome Fr. Marek Bozek as their pastor.

We urge the Archbishop to build upon the spirit of good will that he has brought to St. Louis and ease this wound to the Body of Christ which appears to be deepening rather than healing. The whole nation is watching this painful struggle in St. Louis and we call Archbishop Burke to demonstrate, in the spirit of Second Vatican Council, that Church belongs to the people, rather than the people to the Church.

A Voice in the Desert
A Reading and Canticle for Advent
from Jack Rakosky* – VOTF Ohio

The prologue to the Gospel of Mark (Chapter 1, Verses 1-15) is set in the desert. It begins with John preaching in the desert and ends with Jesus being tested in the desert. The voice of John and the Voice of God play important roles in the story. Both water and angels are present. All these elements are in the story from Genesis which indicates that God will make of the child of Hagar a great nation, too. Remember that Paul argued that Gentiles become spiritual children of Abraham by baptism.

Genesis Chapter 21: 5-19: God saves the child of Hagar left to die in the desert.

Sarah said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!”

Hagar departed and wandered in the solitude of desert. When the water was used up, she placed the child under the shade of a tree. Then she went off about the distance of a bowshot, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat in that place, she began to cry out in protest. And the boy began to sob. God heard the voice of the child…

JRST v. 1 Rejoice thirsty desert; the barren landscape shall become adorned with lilies
The solitary places of Jordan shall bloom with flowers and celebrate with jubilant song.

Response (Gen 21:17 and Isaiah 35:6). Do not be afraid; God has heard the child crying.
A spring will gush forth in the wilderness and streams shall flow in the desert.

JRST v. 2 The grandeur of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
The people shall see the glory of the Lord, the brilliant presence of our God. Response.

JRST v. 3, 4 Strengthen those with weak hands and invigorate those with paralyzed legs.
Give courage to one another, O you fainthearted. Be resolute and do not fear.
God will return judgment. God will repay. God will come and save us. Response.

JRST v. 5 Then the eyes that were once blind will see, and the ears that were once deaf shall hear.
Then shall the crippled leap like deer, and the silent tongue speak out. Response.

JRST v. 7 The burning sand will become marshland. A fountain of water shall be poured over the thirsty land. In the glad home of birds, grass and reeds shall grow. Response.

JRST v. 8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. Wicked fools will not travel there; it will be for those who walk in the Way; Response.

JRST v. 9 No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. Response.

JRST v. 10 They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Response.

God of Abraham lead us on the Way of Holiness.
Help us water the deserts of the world and make the wilderness blossom.
Let them come alive with water, food and flowers for the children of humanity.

Free us from the wickedness of abandoned and unwanted children.
Save them from the beasts that roam dark and deserted places.
From the jackals and fools who desire to exploit them.

Heal the disabled and disfigured children of our planet.
Strengthen their hands, steady their feet, take away their sorrow and crying,
Crown them with gladness, let them sing with joy.

[Jack Rakosky has an interest in spirituality and an interdisciplinary doctorate in psychology and sociology. He writes a monthly column (current issue on World Values Study) for the VOTF Northeast Ohio web site It is called VOTF Perspectives after the bi-weekly electronic newsletter he produced for members in the Diocese of Cleveland from January 2004 until June 2005. The Childermas Service and other prayers first appeared there.]

A Flawed and Disordered Document

I am coming out as a gay, chaste Jesuit priest because it hurts too much not to.
I deeply love the Church and the Jesuits.
I have experienced unconditional love from Cardinal Maida in granting me permission to function as a priest in this Archdiocese.
I have experienced unconditional love from my Jesuit brothers—especially those who know me well.
I have experienced unconditional love from my friends and family.

Being a priest in the Society of Jesus has been a joy for me. I have found it to be life-giving and a vehicle through which I can love God and neighbor. I love the Catholic Church. It is only this issue that disturbs me profoundly and I feel moved by the Holy Spirit to speak out.

I understand that the document concerning seminary visitations is a response to the request of the American Bishops as they try to come to grips with the sex abuse scandal. However, I believe this document will do more harm than good in the long run, and, in fact, is a kind of smoke-screen to say that the official church has “done something.”

First and foremost, some officials of the Church need to apologize to the victims and all the Catholic faithful for this incredible breach of trust. I’ve not heard any apologies coming forth. Indeed, Cardinal Law of Boston was promoted to a major church in Rome.

The group that began in Boston, Voice of the Faithful, seeks to aid victims of sexual abuse by priests, brothers and sisters. The local group here in Detroit has found it very difficult to minister to these victims because they are, understandably, so full of rage at what officials of the Church have done to them. They need and deserve ministry, compensation and an official apology. Having been sexually abused myself by a young man who was a neighbor to me, I have some understanding of how their lives have been so disrupted.

The document “Concerning the criteria of vocational discernment regarding persons with homosexual tendencies in view of their admission to seminaries and ordination” from the Congregation for Catholic Education Instruction, will not help the victims or prevent further abuse. Rather, the document has almost equated pedophilia with being gay. Statistics on the number of gay priests is in dispute. However, it’s clear that the vast majority of gay priests live chaste lives. Pedophiles can be, and in fact have been, heterosexual as well as homosexual. And we know that most sexual abuse occurs in the home.

This document re-affirms the teaching of the Church that simply being gay is “objectively disordered.” All Christians believe that, as Psalm 139 says, “God knit us together in our mothers’ wombs.” Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual individuals have experienced “being different” from other people at a very young age. The human struggle of coming to terms with their sexuality is common for both heterosexuals as well as homosexuals.

This document reveals a fundamentally disordered view of gender and sexual orientation. It forces many people to hide the fact that they are gay. This is popularly known as being “in the closet.” How many popes have been gay? How many cardinals and bishops have been gay? Since this is such an embarrassing topic to church officials, they simply don’t speak about it. Scholars such as Jeannine Gramick and Thomas Thurston have documented evidence of gay and lesbian church officials throughout history.

I understand with great compassion why gay priests and brothers and lesbian sisters stay “in the closet.” Acknowledging their sexual orientation could carry terrible consequences for such individuals. Those people of courage who have spoken about their sexual orientation have been silenced by church officials.

Thankfully, God is greater than any religion or any church. Thankfully, God’s love for all people is the foundation of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. And, thankfully, organizations such as Dignity have supported, encouraged and deepened the spiritual faith of thousands of people over the years by providing them with a safe place where they can worship as Catholics with others who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and transsexual.

I love the Church. I ardently desire to continue ministry as a priest in the Society of Jesus and in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Tom Doyle Wins Hearts and Minds in Ireland Report from Sean O’Conaill, VOTF Ireland

A Flawed and Disordered Document

Tom Doyle Wins Hearts and Minds in Ireland
Report from Sean O’Conaill, VOTF Ireland