VATICAN (Agencies): Pope Francis met with transgender and intersex Catholics, LGBTQ+ allies, and a specialist in transgender healthcare for a nearly 90-minute audience at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
The meeting, CNS reported, was organised by Loretto Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Church and society. Sister Jeannine has been a dedicated advocate for over 50 years.
Five offered personal testimonies of their experiences living as or working with intersex and transgender individuals.
Michael Sennett, a transgender man on the board of New Ways Ministry, recounted that at the age of eight, a priest scolded him for wanting to wear a suit instead of a dress for his first Communion. “I cried because I was convinced God hated me,” he said. After a suicide attempt at 17, a Catholic lesbian nurse inspired him to embrace his true self.
Nicole Santamaria, an intersex woman from El Salvador, highlighted the invisibility of intersex people, even within the LGBT community, noting that around 1.7 per cent of babies are born intersex. Her experiences with intersexuality and her Catholic faith drive her work with the transgender and intersex communities, stating, “God put me at the service of what is believed to be non-existent, of the despised, of the condemned, of the mystery.”
…the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a declaration, Dignitas Infinita [Infinite Dignity], condemning discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, particularly regarding imprisonment and torture due to sexual orientation
Ray Dever, a retired Catholic deacon with a transgender daughter, shared with the pope that his family’s experience shows there’s no connection between gender theory and transgender individuals, as gender dysphoria is not a choice. He highlighted the exclusion of transgender people from Church life, being denied sacraments and access to Catholic schools, and noted a significant lack of compassion towards them within the Church.
He said, “It pains me to say this, but right now I think that we as a Church are doing more harm than good in our approach to gender theory and transgender individuals.”
In March, Pope Francis called gender theory an “ugly ideology of our time, which erases differences and makes everything equal.”
The pope met had met Sister Gramick in 2023 at the Vatican after two years of written correspondence, CNS reported. With his approval, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a declaration, Dignitas Infinita [Infinite Dignity], condemning discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, particularly regarding imprisonment and torture due to sexual orientation. However, it also condemned “gender theory” as “extremely dangerous,” arguing that it undermines differences and warned against sex-change interventions threatening individual dignity from conception.
Earlier, on October 8 a diverse group of LGBTQ Catholics from around the world gathered at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome to share their experiences and hopes with delegates to the Synod on Synodality. The dialogue, co-hosted by Outreach and America Media, provided a platform for LGBTQ Catholics to speak directly to Church leaders, urging greater inclusion and understanding within the Catholic Church, the Outreach blog reported.
O, Holy Spirit send us your guiding light of truth, so that our ignorance and prejudices can melt away through this synodal encounter, and a new morn marked by mutual respect and empathic understanding can take shape in our church for our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers, as well as for ourselves and our Church as a whole
Cardinal Stephen
The event, which included cardinals, bishops, and lay Catholics, began with a prayer from Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., bishop of Hong Kong, who is a delegate to the ongoing Synod of Bishops on Synodality. The cardinal prayed for the Holy Spirit to help the Church foster greater understanding and respect for LGBTQ individuals, emphasising the need to overcome ignorance and prejudice.
“O, Holy Spirit send us your guiding light of truth, so that our ignorance and prejudices can melt away through this synodal encounter, and a new morn marked by mutual respect and empathic understanding can take shape in our church for our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers, as well as for ourselves and our Church as a whole,” Cardinal Stephen prayed.
Joanita Warry Ssenfuka, a lesbian from Uganda and leads the group Freedom and Roam Uganda, shared the wish of LGBTQ Catholics to be fully accepted in the Church. “We belong,” she said, highlighting that Jesus’ main message is love. She urged Church leaders to see LGBTQ Catholics as human beings, not just as their perceived sins.
Dr. Janet Obeney-Williams, a married lesbian from London, shared her journey to the Catholic Church, inspired by Pope Francis’ welcoming stance toward the LGBTQ community. Now a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, she emphasised the contributions of LGBTQ Catholics, saying, “Let us join, so that we can serve,” affirming that God’s love embraces all parts of a person’s identity.
Panelists, Outreach reported, shared personal stories of faith and strength through their relationship with Jesus. Christopher Vella, leader of the group Drachma in Malta, urged Church leaders to recognise the contributions of LGBTQ Catholics. “Get to know the real people behind the ‘mask,” he urged, challenging the caricatures often imposed on LGBTQ individuals.
Juan Carlos Cruz, a clergy sexual abuse survivor and LGBTQ rights advocate, relied on prayer in tough times and expressed concern over the Church’s stance on anti-LGBTQ laws in places like Uganda. Dumisani Dube, a Zimbabwe-born activist, described the Church as his “family,” stating that his faith and identity are sacred: “God’s love is wide enough to encompass every part of me.”
The dialogue concluded with a prayer from Julia Oseka, a synod delegate and student from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. As the Synod on Synodality continues, the voices of LGBTQ Catholics are playing a vital role in shaping the Church’s path toward greater inclusivity and dialogue.
The gathering is part of Pope Francis’ broader vision of synodality, a process he launched in 2022 to foster dialogue and collaboration within the Church. Church leaders are still trying to find the best ways to address the changing needs of the faithful while staying true to the Gospel’s message of love and justice.
