Gifted and Called LGBT Ministry
Coordinator: Jeff Weyant
Upcoming Events
Ministry for Families and Friends with Gay and Lesbian Catholics (MFGLC)
Fellowship Meeting
October 7, 2021
from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
We are a ministry that serves Catholics in the Diocese of San Bernardino who are seeking faith and spiritual support, accompaniment, and Catholic resources concerning Lesbian and Gay issues. We promote respect, compassion, sensitivity, and inclusivity and emphasize the inherent dignity of all persons. We strive to provide a safe space for dialogue and welcome all who would like to learn more or simply have questions about this ministry that celebrates more than 20 years of service.
For more information and/or to obtain the Zoom meeting ID and passcode:
mfglc@sbdiocese.org
or call (909)475-5448
Letter from Father John Kavcak
Last week, our parish received numerous calls and a lot has been written about a “dubium” or “a question” that was asked as to the blessings of homosexual unions. No one knows who asked the question, but the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, (formerly known as the Roman Inquisition and, more recently, of the Holy Office) gave an answer. Although many people hoped for a more positive response, NOTHING really has changed!
The answer was negative. However, it clarified that the church should “welcome with respect and sensitivity persons with homosexual inclinations,” but said that “the presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing.”
The explanation also said that the ruling doesn't rule out blessings given to individuals with "homosexual inclinations."
Important things to remember;
It does not remove any of the things Pope Francis said. The ruling comes after a documentary showed Francis expressing support for same-sex civil unions. The Vatican later clarified that his comments were taken out of context, although it did confirm Francis’ belief that gay couples should enjoy legal protections.
Fundamental to the CDF’s response is the distinction that must be made between ‘persons’ and ‘union.” The negative response given to the blessing of a union does not, in fact, imply a judgment regarding the individuals involved, who must be welcomed “with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” avoiding “every sign of unjust discrimination” as already written in Magisterial documents.
But wait -- didn't the pope just indicate that civil unions were a good thing? Didn't he famously say, "Who am I to judge?" when asked about how he would treat a homosexual person in confession? Didn't he tell sex abuse survivor Juan Carlos Cruz that "it doesn't matter that you are gay. God made you that way and he loves you the way you are, and it doesn't matter to me"?
Yes, yes and yes. That is all part of Pope Francis' more pastoral style. In the eight years of his papacy, Francis has talked about and modeled more openness to LGBTQ people than his predecessors. He sends signs and makes baby steps. But when it comes to actually changing church teaching: Not so much.
Though neither the response proper nor the explanation mentions who raised the doubt, the letter explanatory made note of “plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex” that are “being advanced” within “certain ecclesial circles[.]”
German bishops have in recent years become increasingly outspoken in their calls for open discussion of changing Church teaching on homosexual acts. Several bishops and the cardinal have voiced support for official Church approval of same-sex unions.
The issue is slated for discussion along the “Synodal Way” of the German bishops, which Bishop Bätzing has reportedly touted as a model for “synodality” throughout the whole Church.
One possible path would include covenant or vowed friendships. We see these in Scripture, in the love shared by Jonathan and David, and they were practiced for centuries by Christians seeking to become kin to someone of the same sex. The C.D.F. weirdly assumes here that the only kind of same-sex love anybody might want to bless is a sexual union, but many people (of all sexual orientations) are rediscovering traditions in which friends became family to one another.
To all LGBTQ members and friends: Any one can receive a blessing. You are most welcome in our parish community. As a Catholic you can and should receive the sacraments. All the sick and those with “under lying conditions” like age, should receive the Sacrament of the Sick! All loving unions are good and blessed in themselves. God is love, as the Scriptures say, and any type of genuinely loving union reflects His presence.
Finally: a joke can be a way of saying a truth that may be hard to point out and still leave people smiling. Here is a joke I learned in the seminary many years ago:
The Vatican makes a rule.
The Americans observe it.
The Italians find a way around it!
Remember when the Vatican issued a dubium in 1995 that “the ordination of women was not allowed and that no discussion of it could happen?” That strategy did not work.
In 1968, the Vatican affirmed its opposition to artificial birth control. Today, according to the U.S. bishops’ own statistics, 96% of Catholic couples ignore this teaching.
People think that church teaching evolves at the top and filters down. That is not how it always works. The sense of the faithful is important and how the faithful receive a teaching affects the validity of such teaching.
Fr. John P. Kavcak, M.S.C. supports our LGBTQ community and welcomes all to join us. I encourage all St. Theresa parishioners to implement the church’s teaching that; “the individuals involved, who must be welcomed with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” avoiding “every sign of unjust discrimination” and make this parish a welcoming community of faith so that it can truly be said that: “All are welcome in this place!”
