Philly parish says no to gay activist workshop during World Meeting of Families
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| The Philadelphia Inquirer-Daily News Building in Philadelphia, PA. Taken from North Broad and Callowhill Streets. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
A group of LGBT activists has been told it cannot use a local
Catholic parish’s space for its workshop during next month’s World Meeting of
Families in Philadelphia.
Pro-homosexual groups New Ways
Ministry, Dignity
USA, Fortunate
Families andCall to
Action, calling themselves “Equally
Blessed” as a coalition, had planned to use the parish center of Saint
John the Evangelist Church in downtown Philadelphia for a “supplemental
conversation” to the Catholic
event, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A workshop called "TransForming Love: Exploring Gender
Identity From Catholic Perspectives" was scheduled by the group for
September 26 at the Saint John parish space, just a few blocks from the
Pennsylvania Convention Center where the World Meeting of Families will be
held.
“There is a lack of information in the Catholic Church about
gender identity, and this workshop was designed to provide information based on
personal experience,” said New Ways’ Francis DeBernardo. “There was no plan to
have a theological discussion about gender identity.”
The groups planned to hold a news conference and group meetings
there as well.
The parish was also to be home base for 14 families who are
coming to the event representing LGBT Catholics, the newspaper said.
The group was informed by Saint John’s pastor the week before
last that it could not use the parish space for any events during the World
Meeting of Families. They plan to relocate the LGBT workshop to Arch Street
United Methodist Church, also near the Convention Center.
While the Inquirer report stated the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
was behind the decision, archdiocesan spokesman Ken Gavin said administrators
had looked into the programming and provided guidance, but that the final
decision on use of the Saint John site was made by the parish.
It was expected that "any parish-sponsored activities would
feature content that is in line with Church teaching," Gavin said.
“That expectation applies across the board to all matters,” he
said. “If archdiocesan administration were to become aware of any activities to
the contrary it would be their responsibility to look into the matter and ask
that appropriate corrective action be taken. Focusing on this matter as LGBT
related only would be shortsighted.”
The World Meeting of Families is an international triennial
event founded by the late Pope Saint John Paul II to
strengthen the sacred bonds of the family.
Countless groups have applied for exhibitor space at the event,
but not all make it through the process, even when they are in line with Church
teaching.
The international lay coalition of prominent pro-life and
pro-family organizationsVoice of
the Family was denied
in its application to be an exhibitor for the family event.
Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput has stated that
individuals identifying as homosexual are welcome at the World Meeting of
Families, but promoting anything in contradiction of Church principles is not.
The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual inclinations are not
a sin, but that acting upon them is gravely immoral.
"We don't want to provide a platform at the meeting for
people to lobby for positions contrary to the life of our Church,"
Archbishop Charles Chaput said at a June press conference, according to
Reuters. "We are not providing that kind of lobbying opportunity."
Numerous pro-homosexual groups and individuals have sought to use the Pope’s appearance at
the World Meeting of Families to gain his attention for their cause.
Despite a loose communications style, the Holy
Father has made repeatedstatements in defense of marriage and family.
