Witness in Baltimore!

Last week, we noted that everywhere we go, we meet LGBT/same-sex attracted Catholics who want to witness to their faith. So why do these witnesses seem so rare? There are many ways to suppress gay Catholic witness: by starting every conversation with a litmus test of sexual morality (are you orthodox enough? are you progressive enough?), for example. Earlier this year, BCF was invited to the Archdiocese of Baltimore. There we helped demonstrate how a diocese can foster witness, rather than squelching it.

BCF is not embarrassed by gay people, or by Catholic teaching. We know that you don't have to share all of our beliefs in order to say something we need to hear for our own walk with Christ. We are confident that gay Catholics at every point on their own journeys can witness to Jesus' saving power.

In Baltimore, the LGBT+ and same-sex attracted people we met were asking the right questions. How can we build Catholic witnesses? How can the Church cultivate respect for the gifts and experiences that witnesses bring? How can welcoming spaces also be formative and evangelical?

Keith participated in discussions about magisterial documents. He gave a workshop on the history and pastoral theology underlying Fiducia supplicans and facilitated a discussion about Dignitas infinita. In both sessions, the focus was on exploring the wisdom and practical applications that are found in documents like these.

The highlight for him, however, was hearing a panel discussion hosted by people doing the work of implementing Like Every Disciple, Archbishop Lori’s pastoral letter subtitled “Guidelines for Ministry with LGBTQ+ Persons.” The panel, the audience, and the lunch discussions afterward were attended by Catholics from both sides of the political aisle. And they listened to one another’s stories and came to value the gifts that others bring to the table. Catholics, including those who identify as gay or queer or same-sex attracted or trans, have love for Jesus Christ in common and discipleship as their goal.

We've all exchanged hot takes on anthropology or debated gender ideology. In Baltimore we saw that these difficult and controversial subjects can be discussed honestly and vulnerably, in ways that build up the Body of Christ rather than turning the members against one another. By approaching one another and the Church with not just respect but with awe, we began to treat one another as disciples committed to the mission of the Church. And those who are treated as disciples on the Way are freed to witness. In Baltimore, Keith saw mistrust give way to openness, and struggling Catholics renew their commitment to grow in discipleship.

This is why BCF launched the Building Catholic Witnesses program. 

Litmus test strips (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)