CV NEWS FEED // During his homily for the opening Mass of the annual conference hosted by the controversial LGBT “Outreach” group, Cardinal Wilton Gregory said that “in many respects” those at the conference “are engaging in an act of synodality” and emphasized the importance of unity as a goal for both the Church and the nation.
The “Outreach 2024 LGBTQ Catholic Ministry Conference” took place from Aug. 2 to 4 in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., where Cardinal Gregory serves as archbishop.
Cardinal Gregory celebrated Mass for the Conference at Dahlgren Chapel at Georgetown University on Aug. 3. According to the Catholic Standard, Cardinal Gregory said during the homily that those attending the conference have “gathered… at an extraordinary, if not risky, moment for our church and country.”
“The challenges that either one of these two illustrious institutions might offer us would provide more than ample reasons for our current angst and perhaps even distress,” he said. “The increase in violence, the forfeiture of civility in public discourse, the disavowal of once well-known hallowed values can be found in both institutions.”
“You, nonetheless, gather now for dialogue at this moment in time and your willingness to engage in sincere dialogue is itself a welcome source of hopefulness,” Cardinal Gregory continued:
In many respects you are engaging in an act of synodality – the vision and invitation proposed by Pope Francis that sincerely and openly speaking and listening to one another under the light and guidance of the Holy Spirit is the way that the Church grows in perfection.
He added that St. John the Evangelist helps call to mind “that unity – being joined with each other – is a goal to be achieved” and that unity “remains a sign that Christ Himself is there in our midst urging us to reflect the unity that He shares uniquely with His Father and invites us to share with Him.”
“Still,” he said, “unity remains an elusive enterprise. Our national unity needs constant attention as does the unity of our Church.”
“Unity does not mean uniformity or sameness of opinion in heart and mind,” he continued. “There is a word that we frequently use to describe the spiritual connectedness that must be the goal of our Catholic Church – Communion.”
Cardinal Gregory noted that the United States hopes to be a “more perfect Union,” quoting the Constitution.
“Your assembly is dedicated to the pursuit of our becoming a more inclusive family of faith – welcoming others in spite of our differences,” said Cardinal Gregory, continuing, “Occasionally, we may find it difficult as Catholics and as Americans to achieve such a state of being together harmoniously.”
However, he said, unity in both the Church and the country must be a goal, despite difficulties that may be encountered.
“This gathering is an opportunity for people to listen to one another in love – knowing full-well that we might see another’s position as difficult to understand and to accept,” he said, concluding:
The presence and the pastoral needs of our LGBTQ sisters and brothers may often be viewed as a volatile topic but they must be faced with sincerity and genuine compassion. I pray that this conference advance that goal and make us a stronger, holier, and more welcoming Church and nation.
Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin founded Outreach in 2022. In 2023, CatholicVote published an article by CatholicVote’s Catholic Accountability Project about concerns that arose after Outreach published various pro-LGBT articles.
According to the Conference schedule, the Conference included several panels that discussed topics such as “Telling LGBTQ Catholic Stories,” “Transgender Catholics and the Church,” “Parenting LGBTQ Children,” “Catholic LGBTQ Women and the Church,” and “Gifts of a Life of Chastity.”
According to the National Catholic Reporter, the “Catholic LGBTQ Women and the Church” panel featured President of DignityUSA Meli Barber, who “shared her story of being an LGBTQ Catholic who had to leave her career as a religious educator and youth minister to marry her wife.”
During the first evening of the conference on Aug. 3, Christine Zuba, who is a man who says he is a woman, spoke about his “transition” story.
According to the Reporter, “Zuba had stepped up to the altar of a packed Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown during the conference’s evening prayer, where between singing and spiritual reflection she shared the story of her transition.”
On Aug. 4 after the Opening Mass, Italian priest Fr. Andrea Conocchia, who was present at the Conference, invited Zuba to meet Pope Francis with him, according to the Reporter.
Zuba told the Reporter, “I cry just thinking about the possibility of letting Pope Francis ask us a question or two about our lives, so that he can better understand us just as children of God.”
According to Outreach, Fr. Martin emailed Pope Francis in July asking if he could share greetings with the conference. Pope Francis responded on July 11:
Thank you very much for your email. I am glad that Cardinal Gregory will celebrate the Mass; I will be spiritually with him and with all of you, united in prayer. Thank you for praying for me. I do the same for you. May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin care for you.
Fraternally,
Francis
The Outreach 2024 Conference is sponsored by Georgetown University, DignityUSA, Conference Direct, Creighton University, Clear Faith Publishing, Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry, and America Media, among other sponsors.
