So much more so than the recent “guidelines” issued by the likes the Archbishop Timothy Broglio for Catholic military chaplains — guidelines which continue not only to treat LGBT people as third-class citizens, but which also treat priests serving in the military as if they were mere underlings unable to make sound pastoral decisions about how to respond to all Catholic military personnel with charity and love — this story reminds us of the truth that millions and millions of Catholics have been ministered to by gay men all their lives. It’s a good reminder of the challenges we face when a truth is finally spoken and the hard work that all Truth asks of us.
Pope Francis’ interview last week reiterated his July comments about gay priests, “Who am I to judge?” In light of all this, many Catholics wonder how this new pope will lead on LGBT issues and whether there will even be change. Bill McGarvey writing at America Magazine shares a story from his own life to explain just how Pope Francis might change the Church on LGBT issues.
McGarvey writes about making a comment to his college spiritual director about seminarians being “light in the loafers,” and the director after a momentary pause replied:
“ ‘You know, McGarvey,’ he said calmly, ‘you’ve been ministered to by gay men your whole life; you just didn’t know it.’…
“As I sat there, countless episodes from my life and the lives of family and friends all flooded back—from periods of darkness and personal crises, through life-threatening illnesses and deaths in my family, not to…
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Image and Likeness 