Dignity/Columbus

Official Catholic teaching requires that homosexual people abstain from sex. The Church also teaches that all moral decisions must be based on a well-formed conscience, taking into consideration official Church teachings. To do otherwise would be immoral.

It is our conviction that neither Scripture nor Tradition nor natural law theory nor human science nor personal experience convincingly supports official Catholic teaching about the immorality of homosexual acts. Accordingly, and after much soul-searching, we have formed consciences that respectfully differ from official Church teaching and believe our spiritual health depends upon the formation of intimate relationships. In this respect we are not unlike many married couples who do not accept the official teaching on contraception.

One of our dear members has been mentioned on a Gay Catholic blog, Queering the Church.  The title of the article is Speak the Truth in Love: Write Your Bishop. The following is an from this artiicle.

If we lack the formal structures to speak to the institutional Church,  we must create our own.  One American Catholic, Joseph Gentilini, has found a way to do so himself, which all of us can follow.  He simply writes to the bishops. 

Cardinal Francis George, OMI
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017 

Dear Cardinal George,

I recently read that in your position as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, you issued a statement on February 5, 2010, saying that New Ways Ministry does not provide ‘an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching.’  As a gay Catholic man, I humbly disagree.

External Link: Read more of Norma's letter to the editor

Editor's Note: This is an letter to the editor written by a member of Dignity/Columbus:

All the Catholic priests in Ohio called to a two-day convocation on marriage. Wow! According to two Dispatch articles of Nov. 6, "Help for modern marriages" and "Priests seek ideas to help newlyweds," this conference, part of a national effort to strengthen marriage, offered "speeches from clergy, theologians and academics with advice." 

"DignityUSA works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders and gender identities especially gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons in the Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy and support. DignityUSA is the Voice for the intersection of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience where it intersects with Catholic spirituality." [October 2009] 

There are probably as many versions of "gay spirituality" as there are gay and lesbian persons. Some are fairly traditional and some are new age and beyond. All are on a journey to God, however this person or phenomenon is believed or visualized. I believe it is a journey to wholeness that we live. We are Radical Faeries, drag queens, dykes, fems, leathermen and women, Christians, Jews, Moslems, non-religious, and others. Ideally, we do not judge one another but instead give support in our journeys.

Homily given by Mike Tynan on July 27, 2008

The other night Norma and I went to see Mamma Mia, a light musical based on the music of ABBA (not to be confused with the Aramaic word for Daddy.) The plot revolves around a young girl trying to determine which of her mother’s three former boyfriends is her father. In what is probably the most serious moment of the show, the girl is confronted by her fiancé, who tells her that her identity does not depend upon who her father was, but rather, what is inside her. In other words, she is her own person and that is why he loves her. Now what does this have to do with our readings?

The following is a talk written by Joseph Gentilini, given at the retreat on October 13, 2007.

Two Main Points:

• When I speak of gay sexuality, please also hear "straight, bisexual, or transgendered sexuality, however you identify.
• I have taken many of the points discussed from two books below, both in quotes and paraphrasing:
  1. McNeill, John. Freedom, Glorious Freedom: The Spiritual Journey to the Fullness of Life for Gays, Lesbians, and Everybody Else. Published by Beacon Press. 1995.
  2. Martin, James. Becoming Who You Are: Insights on the true self from Thomas Merton and other Saints. Published by Hidden Spring, an imprint of Paulist Press, 2006

When we sang a refrain from Psalm 139 and then read it a few minutes ago, did we see how clear it is that God knows us intimately - through and through - because God created us in love. I would like to suggest this morning that God invites us to know ourselves intimately, to accept and love ourselves AS WE ARE, and then to take the risk to share who we are with others and also with God.