The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that gay people/members of the LGBT community “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity”. In other words, they deserve to be loved unconditionally as God’s beloved children. I preach this message in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, where I coordinate Courage, a ministry to men and women who experience same-sex attraction and aspire to live chastely. Vancouver is home to one of the most prominent LGBT communities in North America. Many in these communities feel ignored, unloved and pushed to the margins of the Church. Gay Christians frequently ask heart-breaking questions: “Does God hate me? Does the Church hate me?”
James Martin, the hugely popular American Jesuit writer on contemporary spirituality, envisages a two-way conversation forming a bridge between “the institutional Church” and the Catholic LGBT community.
