ComunidadLB

October 28, 2008

Your Eminence,

We are the Steering Committee of Comunidad, an approved outreach of St. Matthew’s parish in Long Beach to the gay and lesbian community. We were founded in 1986 in the wake of Cardinal Roger Mahony’s call for such outreach ministries in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Today, our membership numbers nearly 300 men and women who have found acceptance, support and encouragement through our ministry’s efforts.

While we are writing you and the other Catholic bishops of California only on behalf of ourselves and not our overall membership, we know many of our members are concerned as we are about the perceived, increasingly negative attitude of the bishops toward gay and lesbian people. This is primarily related to the current debate over Proposition 8 and the California bishops’ opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriages. We fear that tensions in the Church over the acceptance and involvement of gay and lesbian persons have reached a high-water mark. This tension will likely endure, and may worsen, whether Proposition 8 is passed by voters on November 4^th or not.

We have been following closely the various statements issued by the California Catholic Conference and by individual California bishops regarding Proposition 8. We know Church teaching well, probably better than most Catholics, on the immorality of homosexual acts and relationships. We also know well Church teaching on the sanctity of marriage, and some of us have been partners in heterosexual marriages in the past before we fully realized or accepted our homosexual orientation/condition. Some of us even have children as the result of those unions, whom we continue to love, educate and support.

One such statement of the California Catholic Conference that was recently included in a Sunday bulletin at St. Matthew’s reads: “The ideal for the well being of children is to be born into a traditional marriage and to be raised by both a mother and a father.” While we don’t necessarily dispute this, it is clear that this ideal is being reached less and less. Gay and lesbian parents–whether single or adoptive partners–are increasingly the ones who are stepping in to raise children when one or both of their birth parents are unwilling or unable to do so, with no proven detrimental effect to the child(ren) nor society at large. While the aforementioned statement lauds single parents “for the great sacrifices they make in raising their children,” there is no mention of the growing numbers of same-sex parents who, like it or not, are similarly making great sacrifices for their children.

This and the other bishops’ statements we have read seem oblivious to the realities and complexities of our lives as gay and lesbian people. They are also ignorant of the socio-cultural and legal challenges we face on a daily basis. The desire of some (not necessarily all) gay and lesbian people for marriage equality is only one issue out of many, but it is a significant “lynchpin” issue for us and those who care for us—our

parents, siblings, other family members, co-workers and friends. Additionally, many fellow parishioners and some clergy have been sympathetic but, thanks to the bishops’ pronouncements, haven’t felt free to support us openly. Their fears were confirmed recently when Fr. Geoffrey Farrow of Fresno did speak out against Proposition 8 and was subsequently punished by Bishop Steinbock.

Some of us were present last month at the opening session of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian & Gay Ministries conference in Long Beach. Bishop Jaime Soto gave a challenging and, in light of the experience of those assembled, startlingly insensitive talk re-iterating Church teaching on homosexuality and supporting Proposition 8. There has been some speculation that Bishop Soto gave such a stern talk under pressure from conservative Catholics and/or the Vatican, but that is no excuse. He failed to acknowledge, let alone thank, those present as leaders in their dioceses and parishes in offering welcome and compassion to gay and lesbian Catholics. We contribute time, talent and treasure to the Church on a regular basis just as heterosexual Catholics do, and perhaps even more generously.

Most recently, Bishop Blaire of Stockton wrote regarding the potential defeat of Proposition 8: “Clergy who refuse to perform same-sex marriages might lose their state authorization to witness marriages. Contractual agreements between religious social service agencies and the State for services in the community, especially for the poor, could be put in jeopardy.” This, coupled with concerns about public school teachers being “forced” to teach about same-sex marriage encouragingly in the future, seems highly unlikely. These hysterical assertions are clearly intended to motivate voters through fear and untruths at the expense of gay and lesbian people.

In short, we gay and lesbian Catholics deserve better treatment from our shepherds. We appreciate the California bishops’ reminders “that we are all children of God possessed of human dignity” and “protecting the traditional understanding of marriage should not in any way disparage our brothers and sisters” in your statement in support of Proposition 8. However, gay and lesbian people aren’t specifically mentioned in the statement. Such oblique reminders run the risk of being perceived as simply “lip service.”

We love the Catholic Church, and strive to remain committed to it and involved in it against increasingly discouraging odds. This letter isn’t intended to ask you to oppose Proposition 8. Rather, we ask that you strive now and in the future to balance statements and actions that can be viewed as detrimental to gay and lesbian persons with more affirmative statements and actions specifically directed toward us. You do no less in regard to the dignity and rights of illegal immigrants, unborn children, unwed parents and people with disabilities.

In conclusion, many of our ministry’s members wonder why they should stay in the Roman Catholic Church when there are other mainstream denominations that are more openly affirming, embracing and willing to support us in the midst of social challenges to our dignity and rights. We are deeply saddened that the California Catholic Conference and other prominent Catholic organizations (e.g. the Knights of Columbus) continue to vigorously, even financially, support efforts which are perceived as promoting unjust discrimination against us.

We humbly but expectantly ask you as our chief shepherds and teachers of the faith to listen to and support us, your gay and lesbian faithful. We would welcome future opportunities for constructive dialogue with you. Our members’ continued commitment to the Body of Christ as found in the Roman Catholic Church may depend on it. May God bless us all with wisdom, healing, unity and peace!

Sincerely in Christ,

Members of the Steering Committee

St. Matthew Comunidad

672 Temple Ave.

Long Beach, CA 90814