Recently Judy Lee of Florida, Gloria Carpeneto of Maryland and Gabriella Verlardi Ward of New York were ordained priests. The immediate  church response was swift, excommunication. Are the orders valid, yes they are. They were ordained over the objections of male dominated clergy in order to follow their call to priesthood. These women were faced with the decision of what to do when the Church tells them they cannot be ordained, and their consciences tell them the reverse.

Which will be followed conscience or Teaching Magisterium? Clearly these women followed their conscience to honor the call to be of service to the “People of God” in the role of priest. The Rainbow Sash Movement supports their ordination, contrary to the Vatican
naysayer’s we believe they have followed their conscience in this matter in seeking God’s truth, and goodness. St. Aquinas said if our conscience and church teaching are in conflict, we must obey our conscience.

The Church must begin to listen to the lived experiences of the laity not only in the ordination of women, but also the dignity of Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Catholics. If the only argument supporting these two positions is tradition certainly the Church officials should provide some support for their positions.

I understand Conscience as the dialogue between God and the individual within their internal forum. The outcome of our meditation will either support a angry god, or a loving God. We see in the ordination of these women a movement of the Holy Spirit. We believe "The Church puts herself always and only at the service of conscience." (Veritatis Splendor)

With the passage of Gay Pride month and all its parades and celebrations, we must not lose sight of human frailty even in the GLBT Community. We have come a long way. Some of our community media such as, Aaron Hicklin, Editor in Chief of “Out Magazine” seem to think that “We may have rationalized our inequality over the decades as the product of entrenched, irreducible homophobia, but as opinion polls in California attest, that edifice is crumbling.” I am not so sure I would agree with Aaron our Civil Rights Journey is far from over, and homophobia like racism and sexism is a mental sickness that will be with us for a while even though polls may not support that. Some would have us forget Stonewall because of image; others would have us sell our souls to corporate greed as sign of progress. Neither position sits well with the have not’s of our community whose daily lives are lived from pay check to pay check, and not from the illusion of Corporate cosmetic equality.

If our concern is only about image than we will continue to make the same political mistakes of selling out part of our community, in order that another part may have rights. I believe our journey of pride must be grounded in the lives of most of our community, and not just the image makers who make $80,000 a year plus. Worrying about 401(k) accounts, cell phone contract, and condo purchases is more about status than it is about integrity. Many of the working poor and poor in the GLBT community are finding it increasingly difficult to keep the basics, a roof over your head, food on the table, and enough to pay their utilities, health insure for many is out of the question. The struggles of GLBT seniors are totally ignored by much of our GLBT media.

The Gay Community like the Church would rather celebrate its success rather than look at its failures. We have a very diverse community that represents society at large. Poverty dramatically affects many members of our community and yet our focus is on rights that may or may not serve us well, and not jobs. If we forget we are community that needs to lift each other up in the good as well as the bad times, we have sold ourselves out for the illusion of comfort. It is time to begin to recognize our diverse community, and not idolize it based on economic success for some. I do not want to fix blame, but I do want to right wrongs.

Most of Jesus parables concern the kingdom of God. By its nature that kingdom is present to us, all we have to do is believe in that kingdom, and the Christ who gave so much for us and walk in faith. Just maybe hope, charity and love may give us what image and success is incapable of giving us – peace. It is my hope that the Holy Spirit will send us true wisdom to replace illusion with reality.

As a Roman Catholic, and a member of the Rainbow Sash Movement I understand that it is our call to preach good news and seek reconciliation and healing with our neighbors, whoever they may be. So it was with some interest I observed the controversy involving Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, Fr. Michael Pfleger, and Hillary Clinton this past week.

The controversy involved a May 25, 2008 a homily given by Fr. Pfleger, at Trinity United Church of Christ, in which Fr. Pleger was pretending to be Sen. Hillary Clinton crying because she felt as a white woman, she was entitled to the Democratic  nomination for president and that Sen. Barack Obama, an African American, had stolen it from her.

Cardinal George’s response was quick in a May 30 statement he said that Pfleger had promised to “not publicly mention any candidate by name” and “abide by the discipline common to all Catholic Priests.” The statement went on to say “The Catholic Church does not endorse political candidates. Consequently, while a priest must speak to political issues that are also moral he may not endorse candidate not engage in parties campaigning.

The Cardinal also acknowledged that “Racial issues are both political and moral…” The challenge then becomes how do we find common ground in this situation? God said to the people in (Ex19: 5-6) “If you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be a kingdom a holy nation”. 

Cardinal Francis George is the President of the National Council of Catholic Bishops so I take the Cardinal’s behavior very seriously in this matter. As a role model the Cardinal should be consistent in both his words and actions and reflect the positions of the National Council of Catholic Bishops. In November 2007, the bishops noted that “not all issues are equal” in politics: we believe that racism must always be opposed whether it found in society or the Church. That means if by challenging racism we challenge unity, than that is what must be done. Is removing Fr Pfleger from his parish adding or detracting to conversation about racism? 

Catholics are called to full participation in political life the Catholic Bishops said “By fulfilling their civic duties, ‘guided by a Christian conscience,’ in conformity with its values, the lay faithful exercise their proper task of infusing the temporal order with Christian values, all the while respecting the nature and rightful autonomy of that order, and cooperating with other citizens according to their particular competence and responsibility.” 

Fr. Pfleger has done a great deal of good for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. He is dearly loved by the wonderful people at St. Sabina’s Parish. Cardinal George on the other hand has shown a cavalier disregard for the rights of individuals within the Church and beyond. He has shown very poor judgement while handling the clergy abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and has sided with racists in the past. I question his objectivity in removing Pfleger from St. Sabina's Parish.

The Rainbow Sash Movement challenges the Cardinal to recognize the racism that exists within the Archdiocese, and to join Trinity United Church of Christ in calling for a public dialogue around the issue of racism in the City of Chicago.

Certainly Sen. Hillary Clinton has been wronged, and Fr. Pfleger has asked for forgiveness and apologized for his imprudent words. It is our hope that that the Cardinal will take this opportunity as a teaching moment, and focus on Gospel Values, not hierarchal privilege and retribution.

I would remind the Cardinal that “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us…We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will be saved by his life” (Rom 5: 8, 20). This applies to everyone not just the white hierarchal establishment.

The California Supreme Court ruling has legalized gay marriage for Californians. The old anti family argument just does not jell for most reasonable people. The Rainbow Sash Movement must express both its joy at the ruling in favor of Gay Marriage, and at the same time its disappointment in the response of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops. In matters such as birth control, choice, gay marriage and stem cell research Catholic voters will judge for themselves. The Catholic Bishops can only speak for themselves. 

Their support of discrimination against GLBT families is grounded in fear of change. Change takes place when the theory of dogma hits the reality of people’s daily lives. More and more people are getting to know Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) people, and with this knowledge come changes in attitudes.

 Presently there are 60 million Catholics in the country, and nobody speaks for most of us in political matters, not even the Pope. We in the Rainbow Sash Movement understand that politics can bring out the worse in people as exampled by the nonsensical apology from Rev. John Hagee to Bill Donohue of the Catholic League. The apology leaves Catholic bigotry among fundamentalists roughly the same way a baby leaves a diaper.

With this victory for GLBT families comes the threat from voices emerging from the Dark Ages of a fundamentalist camp to challenge the ruling on the November ballot. The GLBT community should not be intimidated by this; rather if this attempt is made we should shine the media spotlight on the intolerant forces that hide under the mantle of religion. This victory, like Massachusetts, is the beginning of a Renaissance in this country around the issue of priveledge versus equality. I do not lightly dismiss the dangers and the difficulties of such a potentional November challenge, but I firmly believe we can overcome it.

In my opinion, there were many people who worked for this transformation in California Law. Therefore, thankfulness is appropriate. On behalf of the Rainbow Sash Movement I would like to thank the various hard working GLBT political, religious, and cultural organizations that worked tirelessly on this effort. We must always be mindful and appreciative of the significant part our straight allies played on this journey.I would also like to thank the California State Supreme Court for their just decision.

To my sisters and brothers in the GLBT Communities of California, now is a time for geysers of joyful tears, enjoy the moment, this indeed is a instant of celebration for the rich and the poor, and the young and the old of our community. It is also a time when ethical and political principles lead the California State Supreme Court to legalize Gay Marriage, and not the forces of intolerance.

God bless 

Justice, Thomas Aquinas remarks, is of its very nature social since it is defined by egalitarian relations towards others. This indicates that our relationship to one another trumps every other issue of dogma, and belief. We know from the bible that in every situation God sides with the poor and the out cast. It would also appear; God had little patience with a religious establishment that speaks with a forked tongues. Catholic Social Justice Teachings are based on Christ and our relationship with him and each other.

Gay/Lesbians/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) people are told on hand that we are welcomed into the Church, on the other that we are morally disordered, and have no right to human rights. The question than becomes, is our relationship with the Church leadership just? If in our minds it is not just, than what is our responsibility as Catholic GLBT persons? Should we be challenging this type of hypocrisy, by engaging in the charity of struggle by identifying and unmasking the manipulation of Teaching Magisterium to justify homophobia? Or should we be silent in the face of this injustice?

Historically, Biblical passages taken out of context have been used to justify such things as slavery, the inferior status of women, and the persecution of religious minorities. Such attitudes have led the Teaching Magisterium to declare that homosexuality is immoral,  while the “Sense of the Faithful” in the Church have begun to look at sexual relationships in terms of the love, mutual support, commitments and the responsibility of the partners rather than the sex of the individuals involved. Justice demands integrity in dealing with the message of Pentecost, inclusion and tolerance as the steps for unity.

Unfortunately, some of us have become awestruck and accustomed to seeing Catholicism embodied in ornate churches, incense-filled ceremonies, and solemn, brocaded ecclesiastics, and have forgotten the call of Lord through Hosea, "For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts" (6:6). This fixation with theater and not genuine liturgy is what we experienced with Pope Benedict XVI’s visit.

I encourage you to pray for members of the Rainbow Sash Movement as we begin our journey to Pentecost. Remember the closet mentality, and those that promote it are never justified. We are children of God, and while some will deny that by their actions, Christ stands with us in our just struggle to deny hypocrisy a presence at the Eucharistic table.

I do not think the Pope’s visit will have a lasting impact. He did not address U.S. Catholicism's troubling trends: declines in Mass attendance, a priest shortage, hemorrhaging membership and struggles to meet the needs of a fast-growing Hispanic population. The trip appeared to be more focused on good PR with little substance.

Remembering the same phenomenon at the time of John Paul II,. The large crowds, the enthusiasm, the charisma yet 20 or 25 years later — in terms of anything you can measure in American Catholicism — it's all been downward. Will this be Pope Benedict’s legacy, only time will tell? He like President Bush knows how to side track the critical issues, and put a PR spin on ineptitude when he said the Catholic Church directly condemns any artificial birth control or sexual acts aside from intercourse, between married heterosexual partners. One wonders about the Sense of the Faithful, and why the Pope continues to listen the the Vatican clique over the Sense of the Faithful.

Perhaps the job may create the man, as opposed to the man creating the job. The Pope heads a church that is on the threshold of transformation. It is a bottom up transformation, and I get the sense the Pope is beginning to understand that this is an unstoppable movement. His only choice is, will he guide it, or be guided by it. Only time will tell.

Why fear the Gay face of Christ? Why fear integrity, and embrace dishonesty? Questions that I believe need to be answered by the Pope. There is even a question as to whether he is hiding his own sexuality. The light of self identification is the pathway to truthfulness.

The Holy Father is coming to the United States not to visit, but on business. He comes to address the culture of change that is taken place in the Catholic world in the US. He sees as troubling various social issues that include Gay Marriage, Abortion, and Stem Cell Research. Absent on his Papal radar will be the Clergy Sexual Abuse scandal, and the troubling financial issues that are plaguing various Arch/diocese that are destroying the Church’s moral authority in the secular world.

The Vatican’s spin artist, the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Sambi, is busy trying to re-image the Pope, worrying association with Cardinal Ratzinger the Pope’s other persona, might remind people of days when Dogma was conceived of as an external shackle under his unrelenting rule of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. To put in plan terms, ether my way, or the highway.

It would appear that Joseph Ratzinger’s enduring agenda — rooted in Bavarian Catholicism and his experience of Nazism — has been modernized to fit his present reputation of a closed and narrow-minded individual. Perhaps the most difficult situation for the Holy Father will be his inability to engage people like Pope John XXIII. Isolated in his academic citadel, he prefers closed and controlled meetings.

One of those closed door meetings will be a meeting with all the Bishops of the United States, at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on April 16, 2008. He will  attempt try broker unity between the progressive bishops, and the non progressive minority. Clearly two of the major issues that will most likely be discussed is the wafer wars with politicians, and how to reign in errant Catholic Universities.

There is no private meeting planed for the victims and families of clergy sexual abuse. The Pope does not want to bring to much attention to this issue on his US PR trip. This is a shameful example of how clericalism, and not pastorial outreach guides this Popes actions. Ego not love is the order of day.

I hope and pray the Pope respects the American political process, and that he will not try to influence our political landscape like he has done in Italy & Spain, and is presently trying to do in the UK. This is not a feudal political environment, he should behave as a guest, and not the long arm of the Vatican privilege.

Will an autocratic culture be able to find common ground with a culture of change? We are all agreed that it is natural that Church leaders would want to take the Pope’s visit as an opportunity to spread the Christian message across the United States. The question; however, is how best to do it?

It is difficult to believe that the Jesus, who interceded on the behalf of a prostitute, would be able to relate to the Pope’s phobia of Gay Marriage in particular, and in general sexuality. The Gospel vision of tolerance and compassion has been replaced with the yoke of blind obedience. I believe the moral question facing the Pope and his bishops is how to best serve the interests of the People of God. A servant listens and than speaks, is this Pope capable of that?

The hierarchy thus far has chosen confrontation with change rather than productive engagement. Many in the International GLBT Community interpret the Popes constant vitriolic diatribe against gays and lesbians as a sign of hostility, and fear that is not based in love. These attacks are interpreted by the gay and lesbian Catholic community as another slap in the face; another rejection.

 As an active Catholic who attaches importance to diversity and tolerance I get embarrassed at most pronouncements that come from the Vatican these days on subject of sexuality. I believe silence can be a sin so some of us like the Rainbow Sash Movement will take this as an opportunity to begin a very symbolic public conversation with the Pope. The medium of our conversation will be ashes and whistles. Does the Pope have the courage to be with and listen to his fellow public sinners, or will he commit himself to the abyss of silence and fear, that brings so much pain to the Body of Christ.

The Pope continues to represent his position on Gay Marriage with unfounded invectives, such as Gay Marriage will affect the Sanctity of Marriage, therefore be destructive to the family, and Gay Adoption is doing violence to children. Our public question continues to be how gay marriage will affect straight marriage negatively, and how can a loving home do violence to children? We are  again met with silence

The Popes journey offers opportunity, will he have the vision to grasp it, to communicate, to find common ground and to seek to proclaim the good news in a way that does not damage anyone. We pray for holy communication, but that cannot take place if we are not willing to listen to each other and have our actions guided by charity.

God bless.

The Rainbow Sash Movement recently released a press release dealing with the Pope’s visit to the United States. I believe this visit will give the Pope an opportunity to acknowledge in sorrow his failure, thereby acknowledging that evil is part of our lives. God’s mercy is given freely to all who open themselves to this wonderful gift, and this includes the Pope and his bishops.

I cannot believe the Pope would visit these shores and not meet with representatives of victims groups, of those abused by the Pope and his bishops. This is one of the reasons we are calling for dignified protest against his visit. Certainly the  Lenten penance of Pope and his Bishops should help prevent them from lying to themselves about the matter about the disastrous condition of the Church. The Pope and his bishops have blamed everyone for the Church’s difficulties accept themselves. It is far easier to blame someone else, rather than take personal responsibility for the state of the Church, and its moral bankruptcy.

My prayer is that Pope will take this opportunity to open a respectful dialogue of hierarchal abuses in our church. The Pope and his bishops are very good at pointing out others shortcomings, but when it comes to themselves their faults and shortcoming become invisible. Or the truth is so bleached with Church speak, that it becomes a way to distort the realities of the present day Church.

I would invite the Pope to pray with everyday Catholics to include Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender persons. To move beyond his fear of scandal to be seen with sinners, and really walk in Christ’s sandals, and not the sandals of false images and stereotypes.

 My invitation is for the Pope and his bishops to wear ashes, and sack cloth to show their abject sorrow for what their leadership has done to our Church. Only by replacing the princely vestments with sackcloth and ashes will they be able to regain their moral standing and spiritual leadership of the Catholic Church.

We push Christ away, when we push people away from the Church. Only through the sign of ashes will the hierarchy be seen to walk with Christ.

God Bless

Will he address forthright the systemic decay of the clergy by the culture of clericalism that is responsible for the Clergy Sex Abuse scandal, or the moral bankruptcy of our leadership when it comes to financial mismanagement. Or will he address what is the proper use of donations given for the work of the Church in the frame work of a Archdiocese or Diocese? Should those donations be squandered on legal payouts, and out and out theft?

Will he address the growing anti Semitic feelings of some of our cardinals and bishops?

Will he take this opportunity to publicly chastise President Bush for the murder of many innocents on both sides in the War in Iraq? Or will he just get lost in intellectual discussions of faith and reason as concerns bedroom issues? Will it be more smoke and mirrors, incense and empty ceremony, that may be good theater, but nothing else.

Many Catholics, both marginalized and none marginalized believe he denies the laity access to formal leadership within the Church, in my opinion, thereby threatening the church’s ability to meet the needs of all Christians who seek a religious connection. Indeed with shrinking size of the clergy, there are fewer priests available to share the sacraments within the Church, In Western Europe ,US, Canada, and Australia  more and more Churches are closing in these countries. The heart of the Church is our parishes, and that heart is presently experiencing angina because of this Pope.

It is Ironic that yesterday (February 15, 2008) we celebrated the Chair of Peter, in which St. Peter outlines what a pope should be, a example first all for others to follow, he should be collaborative so unity can truly be achieved, and he should not Lord it over others. How far removed has the present day Papacy removed itself from this vision ?

Benedict XVI should come to this country in sack cloth with ashes on his head for the wrong he has inflicted on the Mystical Body of Christ. It is our relationship with God that is the most important thing. It is only in that relationship the Church is able to proclaim the good news of salvation. It is my firm belief that Church thrives when there is a honest struggle to look for real solutions to real problems, and not when it is content with being pompous, comfortable and triumphal as is reflected in this Papacy.

 In my opinion, if you are struggling, seeking, able to listen to the challenges of other people’s stories as part of the solution process, you are finding your way to God, and at the end of day, that is what is truly important. The clergy and that includes the Pope should be our guides of example, and not our feudal lords. Their example of Christ  will either resonate with people, or not. This Pope is not resonating with any beyond the clerical culture of hypocrisy.

I pray that this Papal visit will be a humbling experience for the Pope. Many faithful are praying that his heart be open to all the dimensions of poverty within and beyond the Church’s castle walls.

The basis of Catholic Social Justice is "whatever you have done for one of these least brothers of Mine, you have done for Me." This is strongly rooted in Jesus' command to his followers to love one another, as he has loved. The foundations of modern Catholic social teaching were laid by Christ and not Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encylical letter Rerum Novarum. The light went on with Pope Leo XIII, but the foundations were none the less laid by Christ.

A distinctive feature of Catholic social teaching is its concern for the poorest members of society. We have replaced this focus with that of bed room issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research. What affects the poor in our society and Church is lack of access to housing, health care, education, employment opportunities, and status. If the poor are excluded from full and equal participation in what our society and Church defines as being valuable, important personally, and socially and religiously desirable than the institution of the Church and society has fallen short in its mission. The prophets of old call us to address this hypocrisy, call it whatever you want, reform, a culture of integrity, or staying on message, it needs to be done.

Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Trans gender people have a natural right which is inherent in the nature of ethics and not contingent on human actions or beliefs, to human rights. This means that legal rights should follow natural rights. Many of our major social contract thinkers understand and agree with this position. The Church as an institution however does not. One might say the Church is still locked in the Devine Right of Kings mentality when it comes to the issue rights for human beings. Some in the Church believe that natural rights is simple nonsense, I am reminded that this was the same position they had on Galileo.

I believe Lent is a time when Christ reminds all of us how far we have missed the mark in life. Our Church continues to promote Church Unity among Catholics while not addressing the the fracture of our whole Christian community. Our Pope, Cardinals and Bishops claim for themselves a Devine Right of Kings when it comes to the divisions of the Eastern and Western Churches, or the Reformation in the Western Church. Clearly there is no Christian unity, we cannot even pray together. Our Sunday gatherings are a visual example of how divided we have become. Division is not of Christ, it is based on our collective religious arrogance.

We have missed Christ face among the poor, we have not loved one another as he commanded. However, as with Christmas, the ressurrection of Easter gives us hope in a loving and forgiving God. Putting our faith in God, and not the dogmas of division that divide us rich from poor, or Catholic from none-Catholic. Ash Wednesday has the power to remind all of us how we have missed the mark.

Rrecent headlines increasingly make us aware there are those members of the hierarchy who long for the days of the old world of privilege and exclusion. A view that seems to be at odds with America’s founding ideals. Realists among us might argue that we should hardly be surprised to see religion treated like any other trade, and the bishops acting like CEOs of Corporations instead of Shephard’s of a spiritual flock. 

Recently an example of this transpired with the incident involving Rick Majerus giving voice at a recent political rally in suburban St. Louis for Hillary Clinton about being pro-choice on abortion and favoring stem-cell research in the pursuit of aiding those in need. Majerus is a basketball coach at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. He believes to express his view is a matter of freedom of speech. However, Archbishop Raymond Burk believes otherwise.

Can one hold personal views and voice them in public if they run contrary to hierarchal interpretation of a Teaching of the Catholic Church, if Majerus claims to be Catholic. Burk is going as far as asking the Jesuit school to bring sanctions against the coach. Do the rules and regulations of the Church, take priority over the law of love? It is most likely the Jesuit run school will just ignor the Archbishop's request. It is actions like this that has put him at odds with his fellow bishops, they would not appoint him the chair of the Committee on Cannon Law, at the recent Bishops meeting in Baltimore, because of the level of embarrasment he brings to the Church.

The question, I guess, boils down to was Rick criticizing the Catholic Church? Was he even criticizing its leaders? Was he even criticizing the Church’s position? I think the answer to all three questions is of course he was not. He was expressing a personal point of view that was not shared with the Church according to Burke, this from a man who would deny Communion to any who disagree with him publicly. Do Catholics have the right to hold and express personal views of course we do. We do not live a feudal system, where the lord of the tower makes those decisions for us.  

This example is but one incident of many where the clerical culture has totally missed the mark. We live a free and democratic society. To be told we cannot exercise freedom of speech is just autocratic nonsense that does not fit the fabric of either Catholic Americans, or more importantly Catholic Social Justice. Not to mention the fact that it flies in the face of freedom of Conscience as expressed by Vatican II.

What happened to the plain and simple Carpenter that we claim to believe in, and follow? Unfortunately for Catholics he is quickly being replaced by the cosmetics of flowing robes, pompous ceremonies, Vatican privilege, and a culture of clericalism that is making the Church an institution to be controlled, and not a mystery of faith to involve us.

During Lent let us pray for a Church leadership that will recognize its sinfulness of arrogance, ask the faith community, and the Lord for forgiveness. When the ashes are placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday let's also remember it is about our human frailty, and not our claims to authority and power.

From Christmas to Lent, the journey continues. It was during this time that Jesus faced down the devils that would temp him. Lent is also an opportunity for us to find a quite space within ourselves to go into our own deserts to remember who we are, children of God.

We are all on a journey just like the Magi, and we must begin to live to our deepest vocation. Like the Magi we will find our own way home. There are those among us who who give birth to God’s transforming power from within. They share the fruits of their transformation with others as freely as the air we breathe. So we travel from the Incarnation to Resurrection.

How will we respond to the call of Lent? Will we afford ourselves the opportunity to put down our roots in the soil of God’s wonder through prayer? Will we put aside a time to be still and in the presence of God, for prayer each day?

Lent affords us a time to reflect on our own life, and provides an opportunity to clean out those internal messy closets. Lent like Christmas is about prayer, hope, and wonder. It is a journey from life to death, and back to life.

We are especially thankful to the Lord for so many of our straight allies. These are the men and women who give tirelessly of their presence, time and talent to stand with us in our civil rights journey. These Catholic men and women represent what is finest in our Church, individuals willing to speak up for the rights of others in the face of bigotry.

As Catholics we must also remember the many parishes in this nation that have welcomed GLBT people to their Eucharist table, without conditions. These parishes have moved from toleration to acceptance of being GLBT. The reform that we pray and work for is happening in these parishes. They can be found in thriving metropolitan, and in small rural areas. They represent a movement of the Holy spirit that cannot be stopped. A people of God who looks to Christ for guidance, not power and authority of a clerical culture. 

While we are critical of the National Council of Catholic Bishops as a whole, we know and appreciate the many bishops who are tirelessly seeking common ground for our splintered Church. The ideal is a unified Church, but the reality is a deeply divided Church that is unable to find common ground. We believe there has been movement in this past year to listen to the signs of the times among our Bishops. 

We are still a Church where each of our gifts are judged by sex, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. For GLBT people we are presented by our Church with ministries that are not. Our Bishops tell us we are loved as long as we are not self affirming GLBT people who see being gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender as being legitimate. These self distructive messages are just another example of clerical supported homophobia.

We are encouraged by the many women who decided not to wait for the Vatican to ok the ordination of women, rather these women listened to a higher authority. The Church is crying for priests and these women have responded. While the Vatican has been vexed by a diminishing male priesthood world wide, these women show the way.

The open sore that is the clergy sexual abuse scandal still hangs over our heads. There is still so much pain among victims of this abuse: we hope the New Year brings a just and compassionate resolve to this dilemma. 

We also remember our transgender brothers and sisters, and welcome them as part of our family. We either all move forward together, or none of us move forward.

The immigration movement has done to our community what the Human Rights Campaign has done to our transgender brothers and sisters, ignoring their rights. While promoting family values they would turn away from the plight immigrant GLBT families because we are not acceptable.

The State of the Church is broken. We pray that each of us can begin to listen to each other without judging. We pray for a world where peace replaces war, and hope becomes the landscape of the poor. We pray for a world in this coming year that is guided by love, and not the economics of religion of authority, or the politics of power. 

In 2008 the Rainbow Sash Movement will continue to push our Bishops to move their ministry to the GLBT Community from a ministry of identity confusion to a ministry of acceptance.  The face of homophobia the Bishops identify with must be challenged by awareness of the problem, education about the issue, and commitment to eliminate the problem.  The self destructive closet mentality perpetuated in church supported ministry is no longer acceptable, and the National Archdiocisan Gay and Lesbian Outreach ministry must be publicly challenged in GLBT Public Square.

Why is self identification important? People who feel good about themselves are not easly threatened by difference. People who feel insecure about themselves are often threatened by all that is different. A positive Self image is important to understanding the many faces of Christ among us.

My prayer for you is that this year will bring joy, love and hope in your life.

God Bless

Joe Murray
US Convener
Rainbow Sash Movement