ARTICLES
January 2001 ARTICLES
Contents © 2001
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
Injustice in the Church
But Change Could Come for Gays and Lesbians
By Maggie Garcia
It was billed as an "Advent Day of Prayer for lesbian and gay Catholics, their parents, families and friends," but it was more. It was a preparation for the coming of Christ for those who felt "pained or were marginalized in the Church," a day whose theme was "Waiting for God's Justice." On Saturday, December 2, the Los Angeles archdiocese's Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Catholics sponsored this day of prayer at the Amat House, 649 West Adams Street, south of downtown Los Angeles. The event, chaired by Carmelite Father Peter Liuzzi, director of the archdiocesan ministry, featured speaker Louis Velasquez, director of Hispanic ministry for the archdiocese.
Among the approximately 40 attendees (who were asked to introduce themselves) were a few priests dressed in lay clothes, an ex-religious sister, medical professionals, a theology student, other college students, several people involved with various gay and lesbian outreach programs, and others from various professions.
Father Liuzzi asked that all pray for God's mercy on those present as well as all on in the Church who do not do enough to work against the injustices experienced today in the Church. After opening the event, Father Liuzzi led the group in chanting a litany, entitled "Blessed Be God's Name!" The litany addressed God as "forgiving friend," "amazing grace," "breath of the cosmos," "evening warmth," "cosmic energy," "restorative energy," "creative balance," "focused energy," "mother of the earth," and "heart of darkness." The participants chanted the "kyrie" in response to each of God's "names."
After the litany, Father Liuzzi opened a period of meditation. All in attendance participated in the chanting of the rosary and Father Liuzzi asked some to read from the scriptures. Father Liuzzi elaborated on the message of the scripture passages and tied the themes with Advent and with reaching out to those in need.
After the meditation, Father Liuzzi introduced Louis Velasquez. Velasquez said he had been a Catholic all his life, but had fallen away from the Church for several years. It was not until he had undergone a period of great pain, caring for both of his sick parents for a number of years, that he had come to know Christ. Velasquez said that through this experience he saw that when we experience the most pain we come to Christ more deeply. Returning to the Church, Velasquez vowed to work to promote equal justice for all in the Church, "especially" for those "who had been marginalized" -- which, said Velasquez, included women, the elderly, as well as gays and lesbians.
Velasquez spoke of the challenges the archdiocese faces in meeting the needs of its ever-increasing Spanish-speaking population. He described how the average age of the Spanish-speaking Catholic in the archdiocese is getting younger, while the rest of those in the archdiocese are becoming older. Velasquez stated that this situation has drowned out the voices of other groups in need in the archdiocese. Certainly, he said, the needs of the lesbian and gay Catholics are not heard as clearly as they should be, both in the archdiocese and in the Church as a whole. Velasquez faulted those in the Church who would "do a double genuflection to a piece of consecrated bread, but would avoid helping Christ in their neighbor." Velasquez, who said he is especially fond of the Charismatic movement, said Catholics need to widen their views and see Christ in those around them. All of the groups that feel marginalized in the Church need to support each other and form "alliances" to help foster a sense of care and commitment for each other.
Velasquez asked for ideas on how all of the various groups that feel marginalized in the Church can help to bring about equality in the Church and help bring those who feel pained back to the Church. One woman in attendance, who identified herself as a lesbian nurse, admitted that it is difficult for lesbian Catholics who have left the Church to return. She asked, "how can lesbians feel welcome in the Church when only five of the seven sacraments are open to them? They are excluded from both the Sacraments of Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony, so right away they are unequal." Velasquez touched on the difficulties of gay and lesbians being accepted by Spanish-speaking Catholics who are traditionally uncomfortable and disapproving of gay and lesbian activity. A woman who identified herself as a lesbian master's of theology student stated that the majority of the students in her program are women who are very angry at the Church due to its "unequal treatment of women."
Towards the end of the discussion session, both Velasquez and Father Liuzzi discussed how those who are marginalized in the Church can take steps to bring about a fuller participation for themselves in the Church. Liuzzi spoke of the sadness he continually experiences due to the behavior of the Church's leaders towards its marginalized members. Both Liuzzi and Velasquez challenged those who feel marginalized in the Church to "take up the cross" and promote equality by showing up to Mass and other church events while speaking their minds on church events, even when they may feel unwelcome. They stated that if enough of those who feel marginalized did this, that over time other Catholics would get used to their views and change could take place within the Church.