The following article is from the Catholic Review, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I need to reemphasize that it comes from an official Catholic publication for one could easily be confused into thinking it's from a "New Ways" newsletter or even the Gay Blade. It's in the October 23rd online issue and the link is http://www.catholicreview.org/article/home/st-matthew-broaches-topic-of-coming-out-for-parents-gay-catholics
We urge all to contact Archbishop William E. Lori, as well as the staff of the Review. Point out that they offer false consolation to those struggling with same-sex attractions. We wish to point them towards repentance, salvation and healing. In no way do we want to affirm them as they engage in mortally sinful acts nor do we wish to approve of their family members as they misguidedly affirm such sin - such affirmation would be its own mortal sin. With the release of this article they failed utterly in their mission as Catholic journalists to proclaim Christ to the world.
I trust that they will have the good sense (unless the Francis Effect is more advanced than I suspect) to pull that article and issue a retraction. I will reproduce it below so you can see just what was allowed to be printed in a Catholic newspaper. You may also wish to contact this St. Matthew's parish and urge them to once again be a truly Catholic institution as opposed to a glorified dating service for gays.
And now, the article.
St. Matthew broaches topic of ‘coming out’ for parents, gay Catholics
October 24, 2014
By Maria Wiering
mwiering@CatholicReview.org
“Coming out is a journey for the whole family,” a Catholic mother of a gay son said Oct. 12.
She and her husband shared their family’s story at St. Matthew Parish in Northwood as part of a nine-person panel discussion called “When a Family Member Comes Out.”
Moderated by Father Joseph L. Muth Jr., pastor of St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament in Baltimore, the panel included three gay Catholics, two sets of parents of gay adult children, and a pastoral counselor from Loyola University of Maryland.
Each panelist shared his or her experience, including how coming out as gay affected their relationship with family members and the Catholic Church.
About 50 people attended the two-hour event, which included a question-and-answer session. Attendees asked for advice on personal situations, including navigating conversations with family members.
“People find themselves in a confusing place because they have a faith that allows them to be strong in the face of adversity, but they sometimes have a church that’s been challenging them about how they should see their family members who are gay,” said Father Muth in an interview after the event.
The panel discussion coincided with National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11. It was an extension of LEAD, St. Matthew’s LGBT ministry. The 3-year-old organization hosts monthly meetings. Its members have marched twice in Baltimore’s Pride Parade.
Relationships vary
Panelists candidly described realizing they or their children were gay and initially fearing the judgment of others, especially people at their churches. Some panelists maintained strong family relationships. Others, such as John, felt rejected and hurt. A gay Catholic and St. Matthew parishioner who asked his last name not be printed, John shared his experience of feeling shunned by his Catholic parents, who insisted on years of therapy. He spent time in seminary, and also participated in Courage, an apostolate for gay Catholics that focuses on helping its members live celibately.
Over the years, John’s relationship with his parents has repeatedly frozen and thawed, he said. At times they refused to allow him to use “we” or “our” to refer to his then boyfriend, now legal husband; other times they met the two for dinner.
“To live with that tension, it’s incredibly difficult,” he said.
“No matter the amount of fuss you put up, it’s not going to change that they’re gay or lesbian,” John added, speaking to parents of gay children. “There’s a hyper-focus on (being) gay as the worst sin. That’s hard to shake off. For me, it’s been a process.”
A welcoming approach?
The panel was held in the middle of the 11-day Synod of Bishops on the family in Rome, where topics included pastoral responses to gay relationships. Midterm and final reports suggested disagreement among bishops over the kind of welcome gay Catholics should receive in the church.
Despite the church’s insistence that its marriage teaching will not change, several panelists stated support for church sanctioning of gay marriage. All three of the gay panelists were civilly married to same-sex partners. Several explicitly rejected Catholic teaching that marriage is reserved for a one-man-one-woman relationship, and that all non-married Catholics, including those who are gay, are “called” to celibacy.
Father Muth said that he’s spoken with people who feel positive about the synod’s potential outcomes on homosexuality.
“The church teaching may or may not change at some point down the road – that’s not something I can do anything about – but the initial step to people who have felt rejected and put aside for many years is to create an atmosphere of welcome,” he said.
That atmosphere also encourages gay Catholics to tell their stories, he said.
“I think through that storytelling, people begin to see how hurt people have been and how they’ve turned away from the church,” he said. “With the church’s whole emphasis on this new evangelization, this is a real opportunity to reverse the attitude – to have a more welcoming, compassionate, listening attitude, to tell people they can be included.”
And so it begins. Armor up people, the Battle is upon us.
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