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Women-Church Convergence Calls On Catholic Bishops to
Stand Against Anti-gay Hate Crimes
Member organizations of
Women-Church Convergence (W-CC) are disheartened by the recent suicides of
5 young people caused by harassment over their sexual orientation.
Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh, Billy Lucas, Raymond Chase and Asher Brown were
young people faced with harassment and bullying by their peers.
In a society reeling from violence
and anti-gay tactics, W-CC hopes the Roman Catholic Church could model
Jesus' message of love and nonviolence by providing pastoral care to youth
seeking guidance and protection from bullying. Unfortunately, the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has not chosen to stand with
the members of diverse faith communities to condemn acts of violence and
hatred that have stimulated the violence against lesbian, gay, transgender,
bisexual and queer (LGTBQ) community. Where are the voices of the
Roman Catholic bishops?
Further, W-CC is appalled by:
· the recent mailing of 400,000 DVDs
by Minnesota Bishop John C. Nienstedt urging voters to support a state
constitutional amendment to preserve the traditional definition of
marriage.
· the denial of Communion to 24
Minnesota Catholics wearing rainbow ribbons to Mass by John C. Nienstedt,
the Archbishop of MN.
W-CC opposes the use of the
tactics by some bishops to push ballot initiatives that jeopardize the
fundamental civil rights of LGTBQ U.S. citizens. We assert that using
Eucharist as a weapon against those who prophetically dissent from the
Church's teachings is unjust and immoral.
W-CC calls for the USCCB to come
forward and take a stand against the hate crimes against the LGTBQ
community. The Gospel message compels all Christians to condemn the
crimes of hatred that are fueled by silence in the face of egregious
actions.
W-CC affirms the dignity, value,
and human rights of all persons. When
it comes to matters of sexual orientation the dignity of every individual
is at stake. W-CC strongly suggests that the USCCB consults their own
papal documents which deal with the dignity of the individual and the call
to consult their conscience.
8th Day Center
for Justice Women in Church and Society Committee
Contact: Kathleen
Desautels
A Critical Mass
Contact: Carolyn
Kellogg
DignityUSA
Contact: Marianne
Duddy-Burke, Executive Director
617-669-7810
Congregation
Peace with Justice, Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Contact: Susan Paweski
773-463-2478
Greater
Cincinnati Women-Church
Contact: Ruth
Steinert-Foote
National
Coalition of American Nuns
Contact: Donna Quinn
Roman Catholic
WomenPriests South
Contact: Janice
Sevre-Duszynska
859-684-4247
San Francisco
Bay Area Women Church
Contact: Karen A.
Schwarz, Ph.D.
Women's Alliance
for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER)
Contact: Diann L. Neu and
Mary E. Hunt,
Co-Directors
301-589-2509
Women's
Ordination Conference
Contact: Erin
Saiz Hanna, Executive Director
202-675-1006
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