Why wear the Rainbow Sash at the sacred Liturgy? What are we saying by
this act on Pentecost Sunday? We believe that faith is not merely the
acceptance of truth. Often our own faith is hidden from us, so deep does it
lie within us. As Paul Tillich described it as the ultimate concern. An
authentic spiritual life therefore involves not only believing in the truth, but
living in the truth.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago has accused us of making a blatant
public statement by wearing the Rainbow Sash. He claims we are
protesting homophobia in the Catholic Church. The Cardinal has obviously
not listened to us. Rather he and others from the far right in the clerical
culture claim our visible presence is a direct challenge to Church Teaching.
He claims the right to sit in judgement of our motivations which he has
assigned to us, without any serious communication.
Our response to him and other bishops who would question our spirituality
is to remind them of the words of Hans Urs von Balthasar: Spirituality is
"the way a person understands his or her own ethically and religiously
committed existence, and the way he or she acts and reacts habitually to
this understanding."
How we understand and act on our spirituality is no different than
Mexican American Catholics wearing their traditional garb during a
liturgy, or the Irish wearing green on St. Patrick's Day during a liturgy, or
the Knights of Columbus wearing their costumes that include a sword, or
African Americans wearing stoles highlighting African American art and
the list goes on. Like them we understand how invisibility only enables
isolation. So why is it different for GLBT Catholics when we self identify?
Could it be selective homophobia? In the end what really threatens the
Teaching of Church and the Magisterium is hypocrisy, not integrity.
Put simply, we wear the Sash to self identify. We have faith in the Church,
that our visibility will touch the lives of many who are now struggling with
their isolation in the Church. Archbishop Flynn of Minneapolis/St. Paul
said the Eucharist “should not be an occasion for political scrutinizing and
judgments,”.
We are in full agreement with the Archbishop. Both Cardinal George and
Archbishop Flynn have different pastoral approaches to this situation, as
does Cardinal Mahony. We were welcomed into the Los Angeles
Cathedral because Cardinal Mahony unlike Cardinal George listened to
us, and understood that our visibility was not a protest, rather it was a
celebration of diversity and inclusion that Pentecost represents.
There is a mentality developing among some Cardinals and Bishops that
they are guardians of the Eucharist, and have an obligation to deny Holy
Communion to those GLBT Catholics who become visible. Why does our
visibility make them uncomfortable?
This has certainly been true of Cardinal George whose own Archdiocese
has a very strong subculture of gay priests. The clergy of the Archdiocese
of Chicago like the clergy of the Archdiocese of New York are only able to
operate in closeted world. How sad is that? They cannot bring their whole
self to their vocation.
At the heart of this tragedy is the tendency of some in the hierarchy to
stigmatize and exclude GLBT people. The Church is quickly becoming a
place where dignity is rationed for GLBT people, and a place where GLBT
Catholics have to struggle to be accepted, and valued. A fundamental
message is being promoted, however unspoken, that straight Catholics are
better than GLBT Catholics. Why does our visibility open us to
stigmatization by closeted clerics? What is it in the clerical Culture that
promotes such disordered skills?
We see no shame either before the Lord, or in the presence of our fellow
Catholics to be identified both as GLBT people and Catholics by wearing
the Rainbow Sash. So on Pentecost Sunday we will once again be entering
Cathedrals and Parishes to join in this great celebration of the Church's
birthday, and its wonderful diversity. The so called "Guardians of the
Eucharist" who deny us the body and blood of Christ do so at their own
spiritual peril. The cost of our visibility will hurt, however, invisibility only
perpetuates the mindless stereotypes, and spiritual ignorance about our
neighbors.
It is our hope that Catholics of good will keep us in their prayers on our
journey to Pentecost Sunday, and even join us. The Gospels call all of us to
go in another direction that ends in love.
Ann Peterson
Contributor
Rainbow Sash Movement
this act on Pentecost Sunday? We believe that faith is not merely the
acceptance of truth. Often our own faith is hidden from us, so deep does it
lie within us. As Paul Tillich described it as the ultimate concern. An
authentic spiritual life therefore involves not only believing in the truth, but
living in the truth.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago has accused us of making a blatant
public statement by wearing the Rainbow Sash. He claims we are
protesting homophobia in the Catholic Church. The Cardinal has obviously
not listened to us. Rather he and others from the far right in the clerical
culture claim our visible presence is a direct challenge to Church Teaching.
He claims the right to sit in judgement of our motivations which he has
assigned to us, without any serious communication.
Our response to him and other bishops who would question our spirituality
is to remind them of the words of Hans Urs von Balthasar: Spirituality is
"the way a person understands his or her own ethically and religiously
committed existence, and the way he or she acts and reacts habitually to
this understanding."
How we understand and act on our spirituality is no different than
Mexican American Catholics wearing their traditional garb during a
liturgy, or the Irish wearing green on St. Patrick's Day during a liturgy, or
the Knights of Columbus wearing their costumes that include a sword, or
African Americans wearing stoles highlighting African American art and
the list goes on. Like them we understand how invisibility only enables
isolation. So why is it different for GLBT Catholics when we self identify?
Could it be selective homophobia? In the end what really threatens the
Teaching of Church and the Magisterium is hypocrisy, not integrity.
Put simply, we wear the Sash to self identify. We have faith in the Church,
that our visibility will touch the lives of many who are now struggling with
their isolation in the Church. Archbishop Flynn of Minneapolis/St. Paul
said the Eucharist “should not be an occasion for political scrutinizing and
judgments,”.
We are in full agreement with the Archbishop. Both Cardinal George and
Archbishop Flynn have different pastoral approaches to this situation, as
does Cardinal Mahony. We were welcomed into the Los Angeles
Cathedral because Cardinal Mahony unlike Cardinal George listened to
us, and understood that our visibility was not a protest, rather it was a
celebration of diversity and inclusion that Pentecost represents.
There is a mentality developing among some Cardinals and Bishops that
they are guardians of the Eucharist, and have an obligation to deny Holy
Communion to those GLBT Catholics who become visible. Why does our
visibility make them uncomfortable?
This has certainly been true of Cardinal George whose own Archdiocese
has a very strong subculture of gay priests. The clergy of the Archdiocese
of Chicago like the clergy of the Archdiocese of New York are only able to
operate in closeted world. How sad is that? They cannot bring their whole
self to their vocation.
At the heart of this tragedy is the tendency of some in the hierarchy to
stigmatize and exclude GLBT people. The Church is quickly becoming a
place where dignity is rationed for GLBT people, and a place where GLBT
Catholics have to struggle to be accepted, and valued. A fundamental
message is being promoted, however unspoken, that straight Catholics are
better than GLBT Catholics. Why does our visibility open us to
stigmatization by closeted clerics? What is it in the clerical Culture that
promotes such disordered skills?
We see no shame either before the Lord, or in the presence of our fellow
Catholics to be identified both as GLBT people and Catholics by wearing
the Rainbow Sash. So on Pentecost Sunday we will once again be entering
Cathedrals and Parishes to join in this great celebration of the Church's
birthday, and its wonderful diversity. The so called "Guardians of the
Eucharist" who deny us the body and blood of Christ do so at their own
spiritual peril. The cost of our visibility will hurt, however, invisibility only
perpetuates the mindless stereotypes, and spiritual ignorance about our
neighbors.
It is our hope that Catholics of good will keep us in their prayers on our
journey to Pentecost Sunday, and even join us. The Gospels call all of us to
go in another direction that ends in love.
Ann Peterson
Contributor
Rainbow Sash Movement
Rainbow Sash is a Symbol of Visibility & Love
Rainbow Sash Movement
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