Outreach hosts LGBTQ Catholic dialogue for Synod delegates in Rome

LGBTQ Catholics simply want to be welcome to participate in the life of the church, a globally diverse group of panelists told delegates to the Synod on Synodality and other church leaders at an event held on Tuesday in Rome. 

“We belong,” Joanita Warry Ssenfuka, a Catholic lesbian from Uganda who runs the organization Freedom and Roam Uganda, said when asked what message she wanted delegates to hear. Ms. Ssenfuka said that the message of Jesus was one of love and urged church leaders to see LGBTQ Catholics as human beings rather than as the summation of their sins.

Another panelist, Janet Obeney-Williams, a married lesbian from London, said that she joined the Catholic Church as an adult after being raised Anglican because of welcoming comments from Pope Francis toward the broader LGBTQ community. A retired physician, Dr. Obeney-Williams volunteers at the Church of the Immaculate Conception (often called Farm Street Church), her parish in London, where she helped lead the parish’s response to the global synod inquiry. 

“Let us join, so that we can serve,” Dr. Obeney-Williams told the assembly, reflecting on the various ways she and other LGBTQ Catholics are active in their parishes.  

The hour-long dialogue, co-hosted by Outreach and America Media, was attended by a mix of cardinals, bishops and lay Catholics and began with welcome remarks from Antoine Kerhuel, S.J., Secretary of the Society of Jesus. The event was held inside The Aula, or meeting hall, of the General Curia of the Society of Jesus as delegates from around the world gather nearby at the Vatican for the second and final phase of the Synod on Synodality. 

Pope Francis launched the Synod on Synodality in 2022, and while plans initially called for delegates to discuss a wide range of issues, some of the most controversial questions, including the role of women in the church and how to make the church more welcoming to LGBTQ Catholics, have been set aside for further study. Still, the deliberations have attracted the attention of Catholics from around the world who are curious about how Francis plans to cement his agenda for the long haul. 

Earlier this week, the study groups presented a summation of their work to date, which is expected to be wrapped up next year. The group that appears to include questions about LGBTQ Catholics said in its interim report, “The Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us, to see God in others and to go forth from ourselves to seek the good of others.” 

Tuesday’s Outreach event, entitled “What is the experience of LGBTQ Catholics?,” included an opening prayer from Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., the bishop of Hong Kong and a synod delegate. 

“O, Holy Spirit send us your guiding light of truth, so that our ignorance and prejudices can melt away through this synodal encounter, and a new morn marked by mutual respect and empathic understanding can take shape in our church for our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers, as well as for ourselves and our church as a whole,” Cardinal Chow prayed. 

Another synod delegate, Julia Oseka, a Polish-born student at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, offered the closing prayer. 

Panelists described what they love about being Catholic and their relationships with Jesus and answered questions about their experiences in the church. 

Christopher Vella, the head of the Malta-based LGBTQ Catholic group Drachma, said that as a bisexual Catholic married to another man, he hopes church leaders will recognize that LGBTQ people are already active in the life of the church. 

“Get to know the real people behind the ‘mask’ who are trying to live a Catholic life,” he said, referring to the way some church leaders caricature LGBTQ people. “Let’s allow love to be expressed.”

Another panelist, Juan Carlos Cruz, a gay Catholic man, advocate for survivors of clergy sexual abuse and a confidante of Pope Francis, said that he relies on prayer and his faith life to sustain him during difficult moments. He decried the support some church leaders have lent to controversial laws that stigmatize LGBTQ people, especially in places like Uganda.

Dumisani Dube, a Zimbabwe-born gay Catholic human rights activist who lives in South Africa, described the Catholic Church as his “family” and added, “I am here to stay.”

“I’ve learned that faith and identity are not mutually exclusive, and that God’s love is wide enough to encompass every part of me,” Mr. Dube said. “For anyone facing the same struggles, know that you are not alone, and that both your faith and your identity are sacred.”

Prayer by Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., delivered at the Outreach LGBTQ dialogue for Synod delegates on Oct. 8, 2024.

(Image courtesy: James Martin, S.J.)

Gathering together here, our Heavenly Father, we beseech you the grace of openness and empathy so that we can listen ever so deeply and sincerely, and we can share our life stories ever so freely and authentically.

Jesus our Lord, teach us to journey with each other with respect and gratitude. We do not take for granted this privilege to listen, to learn and to walk together as synodal companions.

O Holy Spirit, send us your guiding light of truth, so that our ignorance and prejudices can melt away through this synodal encounter, and a new morn marked by mutual respect and empathic understanding can take shape in our church for our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers, as well as for ourselves and our church as a whole.

Amen!