News and Views
Articles by Michael J. O’Loughlin
Pope Francis pushed the U.S. church to move beyond the culture wars—with mixed results
Link Michael J. O’Loughlin / April 21, 2025Michael J. O’Loughlin: How Pope Francis encouraged LGBTQ Catholics to share our stories
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / April 21, 2025Francis helped countless LGBTQ Catholics imagine news possibilities, writes Outreach executive director Michael J. O’Loughlin.
Church leaders, LGBTQ Catholic groups react to the death of Pope Francis
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / April 21, 2025Pope Francis, who died on Monday at age 88, is being remembered for his pastoral vision and for his welcoming gestures to LGBTQ Catholics.
Gay Venezuelan asylum-seeker deported to notorious prison over Catholic tattoos
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / April 11, 2025Friends and family of Andry José Hernández Romero say he was deported because he was wrongfully identified as a gang member due to Catholic tattoos.
Pope Francis repeats calls for LGBTQ inclusion in new book
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / January 14, 2025The comments are a reaffirmation of the pope’s efforts to make the church more welcoming to LGBTQ people, even within the confines of church teaching.
Cardinal McElroy, named DC archbishop, has record of support for LGBTQ Catholics
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / January 6, 2025Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, one of the most vocal proponents among the U.S. hierarchy of LGBTQ inclusion in the Catholic Church, will become the next archbishop of Washington, D.C.
Synod stories, essays from LGBTQ Catholics, among most-read for 2024
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / December 30, 2024While Outreach readers remain intensely interested in Biblical interpretation, popular stories published in 2024 focused on internal church matters and the LGBTQ Catholic experience.
How one gay Catholic finds home during Christmas
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / December 21, 2024Identifying people, places and traditions that create a sense of home helps illuminate the Christmas season—even inside a cold seasonal chapel.
Remembering the Catholic sister who served people with AIDS
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / November 30, 2024Carol Baltosiewich, who ministered to people with HIV and AIDS, died earlier this year. Michael O’Loughlin remembers her in this appreciation.
LGBTQ Catholics share their stories at the Synod
Outreach Originals Michael J. O’Loughlin / October 11, 2024The Synod on Synodality may feel more calm than the 2014 version, but attendees still see momentum.
