Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’
Have Faith
Our outlook may seem dark at times and feelings of sorrow and regret may set in. It may look as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but know that the Lord is with you. There are no problems too big for God. Continue to have hope and keep faith. Last…
Read MorePope’s Damaging Message To Transgender Teens
Pope Francis’ long-awaited apostolic exhortation—“Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love”—was released earlier this month. The good news is that Pope Francis urges church leaders to be pastors rather than church bureaucrats. The request wasn’t surprising because Pope Francis immediately taking the reigns of the Catholic Church displayed a pastoral countenance to his papacy. Pope…
Read MoreWhat Trans Identity Actually Teaches Children About Gender
It feels like there has been a lot of popular attention paid to the ministry of Pope Francis. Right from the moment he was chosen by the papal conclave, if not before, there was just something so unique about him. Though I am not myself a Catholic, I was fascinated. I think a lot of…
Read MoreA Call For A Mass For LGBT People At The Vatican
As a Christian gay person, and former candidate for the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church, I propose that in response to the recent LGBT mass shooting in Orlando, Pope Francis celebrate a Mass for LGBT people in St. Peter’s Basilica and Square in Vatican City. The Pope’s effusive, rhetorical question, “Who am I to…
Read MoreAre LGBT Voices Being Silenced in Conversations About Pope Francis’ Recent Publication On Families?
Have Catholics’ analyses of Amoris Laetitia, the recently published exhortation on family by Pope Francis, been dismissive of LGBT communities’ reaction and concerns? Craig Ford, a theology doctoral student at Boston College, claimed on the blog Catholic Moral Theology that liberal Catholics who are not LGBT have too often jettisoned queer and transgender concerns to…
Read MoreSome Hope But Not Much Joy For LGBT Catholics in Pope Francis’ Latest Document
While Pope Francis’ latest document, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), contains some hopeful passages, it does not inspire joy in LGBT Catholics and their supporters. As far as sexual orientation and gender identity issues are concerned, the pope’s latest apostolic exhortation reiterates church formulas which show that the Vatican has yet to learn from the…
Read MoreVatican Drafts New Approach To Gay And Lesbian People
For two weeks, Catholic leaders are gathering for The Extraordinary Synod on Marriage and Family to address “the pastoral challenge of the family in the context of evangelization.” On Monday, the Synod released a relatio, its mid-term report, which offers some hopeful directions in the way that Church leaders should address lesbian and gay people and their families. While this…
Read MorePope Francis & Edie Windsor Honored By Time Magazine
Pope Francis was named today as Time magazine’s Person of the Year 2013, while “unlikely activist” Edith Windsor was featured as the runner-up. Honored for his “voice of conscience” and “focus on compassion,” Pope Francis’ unconventional style has revolutionized the way many view the Catholic Church. In a hopeful reflection, blogger Joseph Amodeo asked in…
Read MoreEnding Marginalization In The Catholic Church
After serving as Roman Catholic priest for 40 years, nine months ago I was expelled from the priesthood and my Maryknoll community because of my public support for the ordination of women. While being expelled from my religious community that I loved was incredibly painful, that pain doesn’t compare to the hurt endured by women…
Read More“Who Am I to Judge?”
Pope Francis asked a stunning question: “Who am I to judge?” This was in response to inquiries about whether or not there are gay priests in the Vatican—the now-renowned “gay lobby.” In a 90-minute interview returning from his travels in Brazil, an affable, relaxed Pope Francis covered a range of topics, but the “who am…
Read More