The conclave to the elect the next Pope will start on Monday, April 18. As 115 Cardinals prepare to enter the conclave to begin the election process for the next Pope the Rainbow Sash Movement joins with the growing chorus of voices that are calling for a new openness and tolerance of differing opinions.  We must see a willingness from the top down to debate such topics as the ordination of women, condom use to fight HIV/AIDS and the morality of homosexuality in the Church. 

The question that is routinely put to me, do you think there is a possibility that the next Pope could be GLBT friendly? My response, I do not believe the election of the next Pope will affect our community one way or another, the damage has already been done. The process of change has already begun in the Church. The next Pope will either embrace that process that has begun at the Parish level, or like Pope John Paul II he will oppose it. The engine that is driving this is Vatican II, and therefore the Holy Spirit.  More and more parishes are openly welcoming gay and lesbian people and that act of inclusion will only accelerate as we go forward. 

 For 27 years our Church has been unable to find common ground, and because of this the Church is beginning the process of implosion. I would hope the next Pope would be open to listening to people whose opinions might be at variance with his. Communication in the Church is a two way street, much like light it does not go in one direction. Suppression of thought, loss of ideas, closing down of discussion -- that's not an act of faith, and will only aggravate the process of implosion. 

I firmly believe that Gay and Lesbian Catholics with their straight brothers and sisters will continue to speak up from the pews for compassion, love, charity, hope and inclusion. On Pentecost Sunday we will once again be reminding the Church Hierarchy of this call from the pews of our Church: regardless who the next Pope might be. 

The Rainbow Sash Movement is calling Gay and Lesbians Catholics and our supporters in the Ecumenical and Intra Faith Communities to join with us in prayer that the Conclave will have the courage to listen to the call of Vatican II and the Holy Spirit. Whoever is elected to the Chair of Peter, our responsibility is to continue our call for dialogue.

Rainbow Sash Movement