A group of Cardinals in Rome attending the Synod on Synodality have also participated in an event to hear testimonials from “LGBTQ Catholics.”
The event, hosted by Fr. James Martin S.J. and his Outreach group, was titled “What is the experience of LGBTQ Catholics?” It gave same-sex married Catholics a platform to share their life stories and express the changes they hope to see within the Catholic Church. LifeSite News initially reported This story.
One of the speakers was Christopher Vella, leader of the Maltese LGBTQ+ Catholic organisation Drachma and a bisexual man married to another man. Vella emphasised his desire to remove barriers to the open expression of homosexual love within the Church. “Get to know the real people behind the ‘mask’ who are trying to live a Catholic life,” Vella stated, according to LifeSite News. “Let’s allow love to be expressed.”
Fr. Martin’s Outreach initiative presents itself as an “LGBTQ Catholic Resource,” offering content like “The Outreach Guide to the Bible and Homosexuality” and “What Church Leaders Can Learn from LGBTQ Catholics”. The Jesuit-run America Magazine also co-sponsored the event.
Another prominent attendee mentioned by LifeSite News was Juan Carlos Cruz, a gay man and survivor of clerical sexual abuse. Cruz, now serving on the Pontifical Mission for the Protection of Minors, recounted a 2019 conversation with Pope Francis to CNN, in which the Pope reassured him: “You know Juan Carlos, that does not matter. God made you like this. God loves you like this. The Pope loves you like this, and you should love yourself and not worry about what people say.”
