MINNEAPOLIS -- On June 21st, at Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ, Minneapolis, a grass roots group of 30 Catholic parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) persons gathered to speak out in opposition to the Vatican’s stance on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
The parents, from a number of Twin Cities parishes, posed for a publicity photo and issued an invitation to other Catholic parents of GLBT persons to join them in formulating a collective statement to the Vatican.
At issue are Vatican references to homosexual persons as "objectively disordered" and "intrinsically inclined toward evil". In addition, Pope John Paul II, shortly before his death in April, described same-sex marriage as "part of an ideology of evil." More recently, his successor Pope Benedict XVI called such unions " banal", "anarchic" and "fake."
Darlene White, whose lesbian daughter has children of her own, says, "I believe that this kind of language is spiritually abusive of our loved ones and their families. We have had enough of this kind of talk".
White agrees with Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit who characterizes such language as "cruel" and "unjustified". He adds that he would never expect a parent to use such language in speaking to their child.
Other parents share similar views. "We believe all of our children, gay or straight, are called to a fullness of life which includes matrimony if they choose it," says Mary Lynn Murphy.
Chuck and Alice Rice believe that "As parents we are in a position to know the moral and spiritual goodness of our gay children and their partners".
Tom Murr, father of a gay son, observes that "historically the papacy has made numerous and serious mistakes of judgment.” In his view the hierarchy of the Catholic church is “in error” in its position on sexual minorities.
“When the hierarchy of the church aggressively attack and endanger our children, we consider it our responsibility to speak openly against the hierarchy’s stance in order to reassure our families and others that we are all children of God and worthy of equal human dignity,” says Murr. “It is for their safety, dignity and truth that we speak out and assume leadership on this subject."
Maria and Charlie Girsch, yet another Catholic couple willing to voice opposition to the Vatican’s stance on their child’s homosexuality, stress that “We’re card-carrying cradle Catholics who happen to be the parents of a child who is tall, dark-haired, wears size 14 shoes and gay – neither he nor we chose this combination. These are all God given traits and need to be honored in the spirit of the gospel command to ‘love one another.’ Until then we parents shall speak up and, inspired by the Jesus who challenged the religious leaders of his time, do all that we can to nudge all within the Catholic Church toward the loving acceptance of the gift of our child and every GLBT person.”
http://www.mtn.org/cpcsm/catholicrainbowparents.htm