News and Views
Articles by Michael J. O’Loughlin
Mass for LGBTQ Catholics met with protesters in St. Louis
NewsViews Michael J. O’Loughlin / April 26, 2024Conference organizers say that they still do not know who was responsible for the protest inside the church. A liturgical minister discovered that the group had left incendiary pamphlets in the pews.
Vatican condemnation of “gender theory” a moment of whiplash for LGBTQ Catholics
NewsViews Michael J. O’Loughlin / April 8, 2024The document, which has been in the works for the past five years, cites other popes and Vatican documents, but also tries to synthesize the thoughts of Pope Francis.
My Catholic faith was enriched by the stories of LGBTQ people during the AIDS crisis
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / November 30, 2023My own journey as a gay man living out my faith in the Catholic Church has been bolstered by the opportunity to learn this history from the people who lived it.
What would it mean for the church to bless same-sex couples?
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / October 9, 2023When Catholic same-sex couples seek a blessing from a priest—and this already happens, regardless of Rome’s rules—it often flows from a deep faith in God.
Who are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and why does a real Catholic sister see them as kindred spirits?
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / May 25, 2023Critics of drag, of which there have been many in recent years, often fail to appreciate how the artform uses humor to poke fun at those who hold power, especially those who wield that power to hurt marginalized groups.
A gay Catholic hopes a murdered bishop is remembered for his kind words
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / May 23, 2023“Maybe people will recognize that this man was, I believe, a saint walking among us.”
LGBTQ Catholics hail Pope Francis’ welcome, but hope for change
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / March 9, 2023While many L.G.B.T. Catholics have welcomed Pope Francis’ emphasis on inclusion and welcome, they hope for future changes in policies and rhetoric around L.G.B.T. issues in the church.
How Catholic sisters built community with AIDS patients
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / December 2, 2022In the first few years that Providence House was open, more than 10 residents died each year. By 1996, with new treatments available, that number was down to four.
How Catholic sisters started homes for people with AIDS
Views Michael J. O’Loughlin / November 30, 2022The Sisters of Providence, a Catholic women’s religious order with a large presence in the northwestern United States, hadn’t necessarily sought to provide housing for people with H.I.V./AIDS in the early days of the crisis—the 1980s.