While some Catholic bishops — including a cardinal — recently signed a statement in support of LGBTQ youth, others released a statement opposing an executive order by the Biden administration extending federal nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people.
One statement, titled “God Is on Your Side: A Statement from Catholic Bishops on Protecting LGBT Youth,” was released on the web page of the Tyler Clementi Foundation — a group that fights anti-LGBTQ bullying in schools and faith communities.
The statement says Jesus taught mercy and compassion for all, particularly those who are marginalized and persecuted, and that the catechism urges Catholics to treat LGBTQ people with “respect, compassion and sensitivity.”
“All people of goodwill should help, support, and defend LGBT youth; who attempt suicide at much higher rates than their straight counterparts; who are often homeless because of families who reject them; who are rejected, bullied and harassed; and who are the target of violent acts at alarming rates,” the bishops said in the statement.
The statement has been signed by nine Catholic leaders:
- Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey;
- Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico;
- Retired Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit;
- Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego;
- Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson, Arizona;
- Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky;
- Retired Auxiliary Bishop Denis Madden of Baltimore;
- Bishop Steven Biegler of Cheyenne, Wyoming;
- Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan of San Diego.
“The Catholic Church values the God-given dignity of all human life and we take this opportunity to say to our LGBT friends, especially young people, that we stand with you and oppose any form of violence, bullying or harassment directed at you,” the bishops said in their statement. “Most of all, know that God created you, God loves you and God is on your side.”
The foundation’s namesake, Tyler Clementi, died by suicide in 2010 at the age of 18 after he was relentlessly harassed and cyberbullied for being gay.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are almost five times as likely as their straight peers to attempt suicide, and more than one-third of transgender people have made a suicide attempt by age 25, according to statistics compiled by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention organization.
Having just one accepting adult in their life can reduce an LGBTQ young person’s risk of suicide by 40%, the Trevor Project reported.
Stowe said too many Catholics emphasize the catechism’s prohibition on same-sex relationships while downplaying the inherent dignity of LGBTQ people.
“Pope Francis has given an example by meeting with LGBT individuals and same-sex couples; he can affirm their dignity and that they are beloved children of God,” Stowe said. “That should not be controversial in our Church.”
Bishop McElroy said he wanted to let LGBTQ young people know that “Christ stands with them in this suffering.”
“It is utterly repugnant to engage in any act of bullying or violence or condemnation against these young people because of their orientation,” he said.
“To me, it just seemed like what Jesus would do,” said McElroy of signing the letter in support of LGBTQ young people. “The suffering of people who are LGBTQ who are bullied, and unjustly discriminated against … is a sin and a scourge on our society and our church.”
Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of the Catholic LGBTQ advocacy organization DignityUSA, was pleased that a group of Catholic bishops were willing to sign the statement. “Given that this statement asks for nothing more than human dignity, I would hope that more bishops would add their names,” she said.
Duddy-Burke said she hopes the statement will lead to other conversations about what it means to “really stand with” LGBTQ youth and their families and provide them with the safe spaces they need to flourish.
In order to fully support LGBTQ youth, she said, church leaders must attend to the youth’s “need not to hear themselves preached about in negative terms, need to not be excluded from Catholic education programs, [and the] need for parents to feel that they can love and support their kids just as they are.”
The other statement, released Jan. 22 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expresses “concerns” with President Joe Biden’s decision to extend existing federal protections against sex discrimination to include LGBTQ people.
The conference’s statement was signed by the chairmen of several major committees:
- Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, chairman of the bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty;
- Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development;
- Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland, California, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education;
- Bishop Shelton Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism;
- Bishop David Konderla of Tulsa, Oklahoma, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.
The above comes from a Jan. 25 story in the National Catholic Reporter.
The fracturing of the USCCB and the American Catholic Church is now visible. How long before it breaks? Maybe it’s a good sign that they could only find nine Catholic bishops willing to sign that misleading, incomplete LGBTQ statement, and two of the bishops are retired and therefore irrelevant.
To me catholic bishops are forever making “statements” about every possible issue. The leadership of this church should be completely overhauled. It’s impossible to find the teachings of Jesus in most of what they say. And we wonder why young people don’t trust religious institutions.
There has never been a time in history when kids feel more accepted when they declare themselves a member of the LGTBQ agenda. There is immediate affirmation if not out right accolades for being so ‘brave’. What planet are these bishops living on? The kids I’d be more concerned with are the ones that dissent from the Pride ideology…their lives would be made a living hell. Hostility and violence toward any kid is wrong and validating a profligate sexual lifestyle is too.
The real bullies are the Pride ideologues.
@ Mark – Well said, sir!
Bishop McElroy’s favorite word is “Repugnant”. Surprisingly, he never uses that word to describe abortionists or those who support the slaughter of innocents.
Answers the question about attendance dropping and lack of faith in the Church. We need a Catholic biologist.
The bishops’ statement is not pro-gay. It is anti bullying.
You need to understand that in LGBT codespeak “anti-bullying” equals pro-gay, because if you withhold pro-gay approval of any little aspect of gay or trans ideology, if you are not 100% pro-gay, then you are considered a bully and a threat by the LGBT folk. There’s a good article at Crisis magazine’s website about it today. To the LGBT people, even questioning their claims is considered bullying. If you don’t enthusiastically accept everything and anything they say as automatically and self-evidently true, your very questions and challenges are considered bullying. You can’t even keep your disagreeing opinion to yourself because “silence = violence” to the LGBT people. Your silent disagreement, your withholding of approval, is considered bullying. You need to understand that. The gays bully people with their anti-bullying demands.
The reaction by most commentators on CCD is pretty good evidence for the need for the Bishops’ statement.
The statement by the few bishops is pretty good evidence for the need for most comments on CCD.
So true.
TRUTH!
The two statements are not inherently in opposition. That said, there is much confusion in the Church. It seems the Christian understanding of sexuality needs to be reiterated. Chastity, according to one’s state of iife, and holiness are goals for all. Sexual intimacy is for one man and one woman in marriage only. That seems to be lost on many, including many Catholics, even some among the clergy. It’s past time for an honest discussion of these issues. Do we stand with the teachings of Christ and His Church on matters of sexuality, even if unpopular? That is the right, true and loving thing to do for the sake of all.
If you know people dealing with issues along the LGBTQ+ spectrum, you may want to refer them to Eden Invitation. You can check out this Catholic ministry at https://www.edeninvitation.com.
And, let us continue to pray for our bishops, other leaders and all of our brothers and sisters.
Thank you Deacon Craig for letting us know about the Eden Invitation. I just checked it out and it looks like a really solid, healthy organization.
This article from NCR seems to conflate the 2 statements. It does a disservice portraying the Bishop’s in direct opposition which does not seem the case.
The prevailing cultural trends, I would argue, support Mark’s post and Kevin’s post. Speak in defense of the Natural/Moral Law, the underpinning of Catholic moral philosophy, and you will be threatened with cancellation in any number of forms. As an example, refuse to bake a cake for a gay wedding and there goes your livelihood. As an educator, I have seen extraordinary accommodations for LBGTQ people at my own school. Question any of this and off you go to sensitivity/diversity training. Will girls now have to compete athletically with gender confused boys, and shower with them? One cannot happen without the other should trans-logic prevail. Moral judgments are now feeling-based and the only feelings that count are those from certifiable victim groups, certified by cultural elites long absent from Christian persuasion. Kevin too is correct in my judgment: only full acceptance of the LGBTQ Weltanschauung is their end game. The destruction of the Catholic faith can be the only possible outcome, as I see it.
I have mentally ill/substance abusing people in my family and they put us through a lot but we always have to remember that whatever we are going through because of their condition is nothing compared to what they are going through because of their condition.
An article about reimagining Jesus as homosexual through a new film by Yuval David includes this from Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, on the film: “…which aims for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer Catholics to experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality and their sexuality,” [and who ] insists that LGBTQ+ people struggling to be accepted need to be told, “You are holy. You have the breath of God within you.” Efforts for such an integration of spiritualty and homosexuality are promoted by James Martin S.J. and other priests. In light of this, it seems disingenuous for these bishops to parade this letter decrying the failure to accept homosexual persons for inclusion and not openly accept their entire worldview.
“You are holy. You have the breath of God within you” Sodomy is neither of these
In Confirmation classes, children are taught that there are seven Gifts and twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Chastity, Continence, is one of the Holy Spirit’s twelve Fruits. The Holy Spirit works in the same way, with all people, normal or struggling with “LGBT” issues. All Catholics need proper religious teaching and practice.
In Confirmation classes, children are taught that there are seven Gifts and twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Chastity, Continence, is one of the Holy Spirit’s twelve Fruits. The Holy Spirit works in the same way, with all people, normal or struggling with “LGBT” issues. All Catholics need proper religious teaching and practice.
Nothing can destroy the Catholic Faith. When you fall, someone else is rising.
Do you really think that God looks at all the murders, adultery, divorce, abortions, theft, suicides, profanation of His Name and His Holy Day, atheism, Satanism, materialism, consumerism, anger, hatred, terrorism, genocide, wars etc. in the world, and thinks that transgender athletes are going to destroy His Church?
The problem with the bishops who support the gays, and want to do something to end bullying of them, is that they are too secular, not religious, and will not do their job to teach and guide gay people to Christ, and help them lead good lives of Chastity and service to Our Lord. They also do not defend and support Biblically-based Christian Marriage, for those who are normal, and do not teach Chastity and how to be a good follower of Christ, to the young, vulnerable to sexual sins preached by the filthy secular culture. Instead, the shallow, cowardly, un-Christian, secularized bishops end up supporting the gay life and gay culture– which results in killing the souls of gays with sin, and fracturing the whole Church. Our bishops who are un-Christian, secularized, immoral, cowardly, worldly, immature, and shallow, are the biggest problem in the Church. Their evil works, together with diabolic leftist liberals, are destroying the work of Christ, killing souls with horrific immorality, and uprooting and annihilating all civilization. They are as the Devil, the proverbial “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Our holy Faith will never be destroyed. However, yes, countries and civilizations can be destroyed. It is not pleasant to be a true believer in a Church so divided against its own Truth. And even worse, it is not pleasant any longer, to try to live in your country and civilization, if the Faith has been severely persecuted and uprooted. Catholics and other Christians in countries that have become Communist regimes, have suffered terribly. Even worse, is trying to live in your home country, if not only Christianity is severely attacked– but evil and filth reign as the extremely disordered, diabolic way of life. “The Great Wasteland.” Similar to a violent airplane crash of civilization. Very, very painful! Yet– nothing can stop Christ, ever! Not all the filth and evil of mankind, can ever possibly stop the Light of Christ, the very fundamental foundation of all Life!
Do the faithful of the diocese of San Diego still give to the annual bishop’s appeal?
What do you mean by faithful? Faithful Catholics or faithful givers?
I meant faithful Catholics, for example, those who go to Mass, pray, receive sacraments, try to follow the 10 Commandments, know they are not God, etc. I think you know (now) what I mean.
I seriously doubt it.
You can’t tell Catholics to disrupt President Trump and then expect them to donate to the annual appeal.
https://dealhudson.blog/tag/politics-2/
Dare we state the obvious? Not like anyone is in suspense.
Gays and trans don’t get bullied. They get preferred treatment.
McElroy is a buffoon. We have to suffer in San Diego because of him.