Catholics Identifying as L.G.B.T.Q. Celebrate Jubilee with Papal Blessing but In His Absence
Catholic Church Embraces L.G.B.T.Q. Community in Historic Jubilee Pilgrimage
The recent Jubilee pilgrimage, a significant event in the Catholic Church's calendar, marked a significant shift in acceptance and public visibility for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. Hundreds of L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics participated in the church's quarter-centennial festival of renewal and forgiveness in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday.
Francis DeBernardo, who runs New Ways Ministry, a group that promotes inclusion in the church, contrasted the recent pilgrimage with the one in 2000, when the Roman Catholic Church lobbied unsuccessfully to cancel the first WorldPride in Rome. This time around, L.G.B.T.Q. people will go through the Holy Door as a group during the Jubilee pilgrimage, a gesture that signifies a more accepting atmosphere within the church.
Organisers of the Jubilee pilgrimage were quoted as saying, "This Jubilee Year is a time for everyone to come together in prayer and penance, and we are delighted to see the L.G.B.T.Q. community participating fully in this important event."
Approximately 1,400 people from 22 countries participated in the recent Jubilee pilgrimage. Tyrone Grima, a Catholic from Malta, described the event as a very special moment for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics who had previously felt shunned or excluded. Nathalie de Williencourt, whose son is gay, stated that participating in the festival signaled greater public visibility and welcome for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics.
The first WorldPride was organized to take place in Rome in the summer of 2000. However, the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the event is contrasted with the more accepting atmosphere at the recent Jubilee pilgrimage. Pope John Paul II expressed bitterness from a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square on the Sunday after the pride parade, stating that WorldPride was an affront to the church and the "Christian values" of the Italian capital. The last Jubilee pilgrimage in 2000 was contrasted with the recent one, as in 2000, the Roman Catholic Church had spent months lobbying to cancel the first WorldPride, organized to take place in Rome that summer.
This year's Jubilee pilgrimage, however, has been a symbol of progress and inclusivity. It serves as a testament to the church's evolving attitude towards the L.G.B.T.Q. community and a step towards greater acceptance and visibility for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics within the church.
