Group tells Catholic Church, Respect Life Month means LGBTQ lives, too
Tue. October 5, 2021 12:09 PM by Gerald Farinas
welcoming church with pride flags displayed
photo credit // unsplash jeremy bezanger
Kentucky diocese group asked, do Catholics value all life or just some life? They warn of high rates of suicide driven by hate
Catholics across the country are celebrating "Respect Life Month" in October to highlight pro-life stances, usually in reference to abortion.
But an LGBTQ outreach group of the Diocese of Lexington, Ky. says "Respect Life Month" doesn't mean anything if the Church and its members don't respect LGBTQ people.
In a statement issued to National Catholic Reporter, LGBT Outreach Commission asked, "Do Catholics value all life or just some life?"
The group noted that Catholics have been losing members faster than Protestant denominations.
76 percent of declared church-going Catholics actually belonged to a parish in 2020. Today, that number is down to 58 percent.
"Gay people of faith are used to the dismissive, fire-and-brimstone comments of some believers about going to hell and nonbelievers who disparage religion outright," the group said.
The Diocese of Lexington is an outlier of sorts in the U.S. for welcoming LGBTQ persons into the fold. It shares that it has a specific LGBTQ ministry at its historic downtown Lexington parish, St. Paul Church.
"This may not be popular work among all Catholics, but it is following the work of Jesus, who encouraged us to love one another as he loves and to embrace those rejected by others," they said.
The organization also says that "the dignity of the human person is at stake."
"Ministry to LGBTQ persons is consistent with the Gospel, with Catholic values and with the Catechism of the Catholic Church whis says that gay people are to be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity."
The Catechism also says, "Every sign of unjust discrimination must be avoided," they remind fellow Catholics.
"When did following Jesus' teaching become a sin and a blasphemy?" the group cited people who attack their work with LGBTQ people.
LGBT Outreach Commission says that marginalization and discrimination of LGBTQ youth is "dangerous" and a life and death matter.
"According to The Trevor Project, youth who have been rejected by their families are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide than those youth who have not been rejected by their families."
But an LGBTQ outreach group of the Diocese of Lexington, Ky. says "Respect Life Month" doesn't mean anything if the Church and its members don't respect LGBTQ people.
In a statement issued to National Catholic Reporter, LGBT Outreach Commission asked, "Do Catholics value all life or just some life?"
The group noted that Catholics have been losing members faster than Protestant denominations.
76 percent of declared church-going Catholics actually belonged to a parish in 2020. Today, that number is down to 58 percent.
"Gay people of faith are used to the dismissive, fire-and-brimstone comments of some believers about going to hell and nonbelievers who disparage religion outright," the group said.
The Diocese of Lexington is an outlier of sorts in the U.S. for welcoming LGBTQ persons into the fold. It shares that it has a specific LGBTQ ministry at its historic downtown Lexington parish, St. Paul Church.
"This may not be popular work among all Catholics, but it is following the work of Jesus, who encouraged us to love one another as he loves and to embrace those rejected by others," they said.
The organization also says that "the dignity of the human person is at stake."
"Ministry to LGBTQ persons is consistent with the Gospel, with Catholic values and with the Catechism of the Catholic Church whis says that gay people are to be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity."
The Catechism also says, "Every sign of unjust discrimination must be avoided," they remind fellow Catholics.
"When did following Jesus' teaching become a sin and a blasphemy?" the group cited people who attack their work with LGBTQ people.
LGBT Outreach Commission says that marginalization and discrimination of LGBTQ youth is "dangerous" and a life and death matter.
"According to The Trevor Project, youth who have been rejected by their families are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide than those youth who have not been rejected by their families."