Cardinal Gregory stresses
need for unity at Outreach LGBTQ conference
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 7, 2024 / 16:08 pm
Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of
Washington, D.C., speaking at the “Outreach” Conference for Catholics who
identify as LGBTQ, stressed the need for unity in what he called “an
extraordinary if not risky moment for our Church and country.”
In his homily, Gregory said that “the presence and
the pastoral needs of our LGBTQ sisters and brothers may often be viewed as a
volatile topic, but they must be faced with sincerity and genuine compassion.”
He called the conference "an opportunity for
people to listen to one another in love, knowing full-well that we might see
another’s position as difficult to understand and to accept." He went on
to shared his hope that the event would advance the goal of making the Church
“stronger, holier, and more welcoming.”
According to the conference's website, Outreach
“gathers LGBTQ laypeople, clergy, scholars, artists, educators, students, and
family members to build community, share best practices, and worship together.”
The gathering is organized by Outreach, a Catholic
LGBTQ resource group founded by Jesuit priest and theologian Father James
Martin.
This year the conference took place Aug. 2–4 at
Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The event included several talks,
panel discussions, times for prayer, and social events. Topics included
“parenting LGBTQ children,” “transgender Catholics and the Church,” “the Bible
and homosexuality,” and “gifts of a life of chastity.”
By presiding over the Saturday Mass in Georgetown’s
Dahlgren Chapel, Gregory became the first cardinal to participate in the
conference.
During his homily, he emphasized that both the
Church and nation are at a critical moment, one that demands open dialogue.
“Our national unity needs constant attention as
does the unity of our Church. Unity does not mean uniformity or sameness of
opinion in heart and mind,” he clarified. “There is a word that we frequently
use to describe the spiritual connectedness that must be the goal of our
Catholic Church: communion.”
The cardinal praised conference attendees for being
“dedicated to the pursuit of our becoming a more inclusive family of faith,
welcoming others in spite of our differences.”
He said that such a pursuit is an “act of
synodality” and that “sincerely and openly speaking and listening to one
another under the light and guidance of the Holy Spirit is the way that the
Church grows in perfection.”
He expressed concern for the state of the Church
and nation, decrying what he called an “increase in violence, the forfeiture of
civility in public discourse, the disavowal of once well-known hallowed
values.”
Pope Francis also expressed spiritual
closeness to the conference, saying in a July 11 note to
Martin that he was “glad” that Gregory would celebrate the opening Mass.
“I will be spiritually with him and with all of
you, united in prayer,” Francis said. “May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin
care for you.”
The Archdiocese of Washington declined to comment
further on the conference and Gregory’s participation.
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