Posted on 08/04/2015 5:45:36 AM PDT by marshmallow
A Westminster diocesan initiative to extend a special welcome to lesbian and gay Catholics at a regular Mass has proved so successful that Cardinal Vincent Nichols would like it to be rolled out nationwide, his lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) liaison priest has said.
The Masses, at the Jesuit Farm Street Church in central London, replaced the more controversial, so-called “gay Masses” that were designated for LGBT Catholics at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Soho until 2013.
Key to the transition was that the Farm Street Masses are an extension of the diocese’s pastoral care for gay people. LGBT Catholics join the regular congregation at the 6.15 p.m. Mass on Sunday evenings twice a month and meet afterwards for a social gathering in the parish hall.
Fr Keith Barltrop, who was appointed chaplain to the LGBT community by Vincent Nichols earlier this year, said that the cardinal would like to see the Farm Street Masses as a model for other parishes in his archdiocese. He added that the idea could be taken up by parishes in other dioceses.
The Farm Street Masses are similar to those said for the LGBT community in Chicago and Los Angeles. Martin Pendergast of the LGBT Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council said that any move to expand the model would be dependent on interested parishioners taking the lead.
(Excerpt) Read more at thetablet.co.uk ...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases_in_the_United_States
http://www.jsonline.com/news/religion/archdiocese-settles-sexual-abuse-claims-for-21-million-b99542352z1-320651132.html?ipad=y
If they do that they should rename it the Church of God Knows What.
It was a good recommendation. Welcome to FR !
No, for them, it will be an affirmational.
"Bless me Father, for i am *fabulous* !"
...and for certain special services, half the congregation spends the entire time kneeling.
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