Gay Catholics Speak to US Catholic Bishops

Press Release
For Immediate Release

Gay Catholics Speak to US Catholic Bishops

On November 10, 2003 the National Council of Catholic Bishops will hold their annual fall meeting in Washington, DC. The Rainbow Sash Movement, a national group of Gay and Lesbian Catholics will be sending a delegation to Bishops Liturgy on Monday (November 10, 2003) evening at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC. The delegation will be identified by the Rainbow Sashes they will wear during the Liturgy. Joe Murray, the Rainbow Sash Movement Spokesperson, will be leading the delegation. The delegation will be headquartered at the Hyatt Regency, Capital Hill, Washington, DC.

The Catholic Church has become polarized, and its very unity depends on willingness among the hierarchy to acknowledge this, and to listen to the diverse voices within the Church, and seek common ground. On the progressive side, there is a certain anti-institutionalization, and more dangerously, an anti-dogmatic bias. For conservatives, there is a tendency to uphold doctrines even at the price of people's rights and freedoms. Is the Church becoming so focused on immutable doctrine and eternal truths at the price of human beings and their concrete needs? The Church has to expand its vision and see that gay men and lesbian women, as well as bisexual and transgendered people, are as fully human as anyone else, constituent members of the imago dei that is humanity.

Gay and Lesbian Catholics are deeply concerned about the future of the Church, and their place in it. Like others in the Catholic Church the Rainbow Sash Movement is calling the National Council of Catholic Bishops to official dialogue. The problem is not dogma; the problem seems to be how to promote dogma in the framework of love.

The Rainbow Sash Movement believes that the Catholic Church is the living continuity of faith that is why we bring our concerns to the Bishops, and remain faithful within the parish life of the Church.

Rainbow Sash Movement

========End of Release===========================================

I had missed this earlier. I'm curious to see what, if anything, will happen at Mass this evening. I, too, am deeply concerned about my place in Christ's Church, not because of this but because, like St. Paul, I , too, am working out my salvation in fear and trembling. Fortunately, the Church teaches with the authority of Jesus exactly what is necessary to abide with Him and His Church.

We can choose humilty and follow with obedience - choosing life over death, or we can choose pride and "make things up" as we go along, becoming false teachers and prophets, determining for ourselves what is right and wrong and end up rejecting God's gift of grace and everlasting life.

Newsflash!!!! The Catholic Church is NOT going to change the moral law to accomodate sin, in whatever form one wishes to re-define it. Is this really that difficult to understand?