DignityHouston

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

By George Wetzel

Mr. Wetzel is a regular contributor to the DignityHouston Journal.  

September 2006 - Assessing What's Next

September is our month for the election of board trustees.  These will be the folks who will carry us into 2007 and will be representing our chapter at the Dignity National Convention in July 2007 in Austin.

Of course all Dignity members are invited to the convention and hotel rates are conducive to room sharing and making this a great opportunity to meet and greet Dignity members from all over the USA. 

It is still too early to have much information on who the speakers will be, but they have always been inspiring, invigorating and educational.  So, block out your calendar for the first week of July and plan to be there to celebrate and congregate with DignityUSA. 

 Next year may also be a year of self-examination for all of us as we ponder the longer range of possibilities of Dignity/Houston.  Are we strong enough to continue as a stand along chapter providing the routine services of a parish?  Can we continue with so very restricted access to priest celebrants to carry on as a surrogate parish for our members?  Is this a reasonable and possible task for a group that in all honesty is composed of less than thirty supporting members? 

And just what are the alternatives?  What options are truly open to us?  How do we assess their value, feasibility and accessibility?  I certainly do not have the answer to the above questions, but I am willing to dedicate this column to these topics for the next year. 

We seem to have arrived at an important crossroads – perhaps not quite of our making – but, nonetheless, about which we will have to make choices.  And choices like these are not easily made, nor are they insignificant. 

We can only face these challenges honestly, openly and with reason and patience if we truly hope to make the right choices. 

Let us all pray for guidance and patience and energy to elect new trustees, celebrate a national convention, and assess just where we are going with Dignity/Houston.                     

July 2006 - After Pride

As the heat and the humidity and the glamour and the glitz of Gay Pride Week fades away, life goes on with the celebrations of the Fourth of July. 

Let us look back on where we have been and where we are going in this marvelous country of ours.  I am no more ignorant of the failings or foibles of this country than I am of our church that continues to promote its own brand of ignorance and fear and hatred toward the GLBT of this world.   For over thirty years this chapter, through good times and bad, has been a beacon of truth and light for those Catholics who were privileged (in another context the adjective most likely would have been “cursed”) to be born GLBT. 

When we first began there were very few institutions, organizations or agencies capable, willing, or able to minister to our physical, emotional, psychological or social needs and desires.  With more than a passing look at the most recent Pride Parade participants, one can see how far we have come in this minds of many institutions in our community.  While no one pretends this is a period of Nirvana (we still live in the very red state of Texas, and like the summer heat and humidity, there is very little we can do about it) it is only fair and honest to look around at those who have been willing to compassionately look at how GLBT human beings are treated in our society.  It is only faire to honor those who in the face of the very strong influence of right-wind fundamentalist Christianity, have faced the truth about our tribe and been willing to overcome their fears, their prejudices and their ignorance and see us as human beings and no different than any other of God’s children. 

While the Pride Parade was a moment to enjoy, relax and be entertained, it is also an opportunity to thank and appreciate those organizations who opened their hearts to our community. 

Look to those progressive individuals for further guidance and hope and cooperation and we will all enjoy the fruits of honesty, integrity, compassion and openness so necessary for the good life.                                                          

 

April 2006 - Boston Adoption Controversy

For those of you who have not been keeping up with the latest tactic to prevent gay people to adopt children, we take you now to the City of Boston.  Here in 2006, in the Catholic Diocese the situation is so grave that the decision has been made to put an end to all adoptions through the agency because – GASP – with Massachusetts law they might be considered discriminating to deny the right to lesbians or gay human beings. 

The Governor, a presidential hopeful, has offered to exempt churches from this burden of discrimination as a bid to shield the church from litigation.  Several members of the lay board resigned rather than implement such a discriminatory policy. 

The Vatican appears to be strongly behind this policy and the new Cardinal Leveda has made himself and the Holy Office most clear on what a horrendous mistake it would be if western civilization would be soiled with the unthinkable prospect of lesbian or gay human beings actively adopting children under church auspices. 

A Vatican that stood by in silence, a silence it continues to keep on the exceptionally large percentages of bishops and cardinals who cooperated, enabled and colluded to deceive legitimate authorities about the sexual abuse of children suddenly has seen the light and is opposed to lesbians and gay human beings adopting children.  The mind boggles! 

Yet, as we have seen again and again, if you embrace prejudice and dear and ignorance and refuse to utilize reason and logic and science to learn the truth then you will be forced into many similarly ironic, silly and outrageous situations. 

A Rhode Island Catholic cemetery recently refused a tombstone inscription acknowledging that two men, legitimately and legally married, could include that on their tombstones!

Watch carefully, gentle readers.  This is very likely to erupt with even more bizarre and unexpected consequences as the powers of fear and hated and ignorance have their way.  It will not be pretty.  Pray that the true spirit of Christ and Christianity will rise victorious in honesty, and compassion and truth on Easter Sunday.

March 2006 - Deus Caritas Est 

In his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI has chosen to proclaim to the whole world that God is Love (Deus Caritas Est).

He offers a major spiritual meditation on love that must be “purified” into agape, or the total giving of ones self to another.  In highly purified and elegant language, he spells out the challenge and the opportunity that love offers to all who embrace it.  And in that challenge and opportunity for maturing and expanding growth he calls all those who are called to love, or are in love, or who yearn for love to see it in ways not commonly referenced in popular novels, movies and culture. 

Some have claimed and written an opinion that this challenge excludes our tribe from its contours.  That our tribe can never raise our loving endeavors to the level of “true love” because we are intrinsically disordered and therefore incapable and ineligible to participate in “true love.” 

The second part of the encyclical focuses on the outpouring of charity and charitable works involving political and economic justice as being the primarily the responsibility of the laity and the state and the church’s responsibility is to outreach people in need.  With this thesis I find no major conflicts, but it is important to point out just how important it is for everyone to be working toward common humanitarian goals and endeavors.  Without that cooperation and communication the goals of improving the nature of existence and humanity will be in vain. 

It reminds me of the message of St. Paul about having a pure heart in doing charitable works or they will be only the sound of “tinkling brass.”

It is quite clear to this observer that the pope is hoping to paint a human face on Christianity and the Catholic Church.  He is moving away from a focus on the negative and debasing nature of all humans.  He is focusing our attention on the positive and uplifting challenges and opportunities of human love and how our good works and charity and religion should interface with the real world. 

I must enter a demurrer as to the applicability of “true love” to lesbians, gay bisexual and transgender human beings.  I find nothing to justify this exclusion beyond the quaintly fundamentalist scripture, a twentieth century invention of “intrinsically disordered” as a category, and a firm, convinced and biased refusal to look anew at human sexuality in all its parameters and dimensions.  Such a failure is a challenge for all of us to aspire to overturn by our lives and our loves. 

February 2006 - Love Thy Neighbor 

The New Year is getting off to a great start.  Nope, I won’t be mentioning Brokeback, DeLay, Abramoff, or impeachment.  Rather, after winning the Houston Voice “Anti-Gay Person of the Year Award” in 2005, the new pope has an encyclical entitled “God is Love,” published in the closing days of January. 

From what I could gather from the early comments, the pope is expanding on the commandment “Love thy neighbor” in terms of marriage, in the relationship to God, and especially in relationship to the poor.  “A forceful basis for better human and spiritual relationships,” describes Richard Vara, Houston Chronicle religion editor. 

“In a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence, this message is both timely and significant,” Benedict wrote. 

Breathes there a soul so cold as not to be warmed by such honest, open and heartfelt sentiment?  Well, let me say that all the votes are not in just yet.  It remains to be seen if the “God” of Benedict shines his love down upon lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual human beings. 

It remains to be seen how this praiseworthy opening to his pontificate is interpreted, endorsed, understood, accepted and embraced. 

Praise be that the love of God is lavished on all of the creatures and human beings of this world, like the sun from the heavens or the rain from the clouds.  Praise be that a twenty-first century pope has called for better human relationships in a world seething in hatred, mistrust, deceit, mendacity, jealousy, hated, greed and worse!  Praise be that the very notion of God and love are again brought together outside the umbra of vengeance and violence. 

Let us carefully watch and listen and contribute to the fulfilling premise of this new encyclical – and make sure that the love of God shines out from us in all our dealings and interactions with others. 

For if that is true, then whether intended or not we will know better relationships and experience the love of God, even if that is not quite what Benedict had in mind.   

January 2006 - The New Year 

As we begin a new year, it is a good time to look back at 2005 and count the blessings and graces that you have responded to and look forward to how you can improve and expand your spiritual dimension in the coming year. 

My topic for this month will not be positive nor confidence building for the year 2006, for I am deeply and profoundly concerned with the most recent turn by the Vatican to exploit the prejudice and ignorance about homosexuality and the lives of all lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual human beings.  In November, the Vatican released an instruction that raises the question of whether gay men can be ordained or even permitted to each in a seminary. 

I acknowledge the need for the Vatican to have control over how and who are eligible for the priesthood.  However, this instruction, in my opining, attempts to create a scapegoat out of gay people in order to obscure, deflect and deny the more important questions of just who was more responsible for the recent sex abuse scandal – the very small number of abusing priests or the very large percentage of cardinals and bishops who worked diligently to cover up those crimes and deflect responsibility from the church? 

In addition to this capital deceit, I believe that the Vatican is unwilling to tolerate an open discussion of the celibacy requirement for priesthood, the ordination of women, a married clergy, the role of the laity in a shrinking priesthood, or repressive and isolated authority more aligned with power and protection than with human beings and compassion. 

As contemporary politicians in this country have learned and taught, it is convenient to scapegoat lesbians and gays for the high divorce rate, the breakdown of morality and unbridled greed and power struggles than to honestly look at what we are and who we are. 

The current pope created the compassionate phrase “intrinsically disordered over thirty-five years ago and had it put in the Catholic Catechism.  Now that phrase is used to deny that orientation the seminary.  Listen carefully for any logic, reasoning, scripture, science, or psychology to “prove it.” 

The pope appears to “unite” Catholics by scapegoating lesbians and gays as less than human. 

What is next? 

October 2005 - Class Reunion 

As I write this I am looking forward to rejoining my classmates in Bloomington, IL (about halfway between St Louis and Chicago) for my fiftieth high school class reunion.  Just over a week ago, I had decided not to join in the festivities, which include a tour of the new high school, mass, and a dinner.  But it has been over two years since I have been beck to my hometown for a visit and, in spite of my “intrinsically disordered” status, it will be enjoyable to reconnect. 

Since I had already outed myself at the thirtieth reunion (gad, was it that long ago?) I have not returned.  With only fifty in our original class, it will not be a large gathering and, hopefully, it will be manageable.  No grandchildren, children, second home, interest in professional sports, golf, or serious health problems – I will be at a handicap, but it will be worth it. 

I rather suspect that the topics will mostly revolve around politics and religion and the very volatile mixture we are seeing these days of the two.  It is equally likely that I will be surrounded, mostly, by red-state mentality and its Catholic variations.  I am vowing, well ahead of time, not to get in blood pressure challenging arguments but, as human beings are known to weaken, it just may happen. 

Some have already left this planet, others have never shown an interest in these gatherings and, as usual, the spouses will set by bemused and confused by all all this friendly banter. 

The diocese I grew up in (Peoria) has been recently among the most rigorous in its inflexible and conservative outlook.  I am quite sure that even if “intelligent design” is not yet taught in the Catholic high schools, it is only a matter of time.  For sure I and my tribe are labeled “intrinsically disordered” in the Catechism without a shred of proof from scripture, fact–based science or anything other than fundamentalist interpretations of scripture texts that no honest scripture scholar would hold dear. 

Yet here I (we) stand, holding no more firmly to “intrinsically disordered” than others do to the ban on birth control, divorce and remarriage, preemptive war arguments, the fundamental and basic equality of women in our church and in our society, and the right to privacy, as well as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

July 2005 - The Memphis Bishop's Letter 

As we wrap up another month of Gay Pride, let us look at some recent developments to keep our eyes on:

First off, Bishop J. Terry Steib, S. V. D., of Memphis has published on the Memphis Diocesan web site a marvelous, insightful and amazingly impressive letter to day and lesbian human beings who were raised Catholic!

He gathered lesbians and gay men together for a meeting and then followed it up with a second meeting with the Catholic parents of adult lesbian and gay persons.  His letter is a result of those meetings and if I read it correctly, is an invitation for lesbian and gay human beings to come home!  To come home to the church, to be church to one another, to be God’s family to one another.  It is a welcome that many of us have worked and prayed for lo these many years since the founding of Dignity!

Pray for Bishop Steib’s health and welfare as he reaches out to our community in honest, straightforward and compassionate ministry.  May his tribe and his challenge become infectious!

The second matter I will comment on is the recent tact of the Vatican to urge counsel and encourage civil disobedience.  Yes, dear readers, in response to actions in Spain to recognize gay and lesbian marriage, the Vatican has counseled civil disobedience by officials to prevent their implementation.  A very interesting tactic!  Now, just ask yourself – did the Vatican counsel civil disobedience during the rise of fascism in Italy, Spain and Germany?  Did the Vatican also counsel all pharmacists to refuse to sell birth control pills or devises to Catholics?  Did the Vatican order all divorces in Italy, France and Spain to be invalid and the Catholic lawyers who made those divorces to be refused communion?  Did the Vatican declare the church the church is the home of all the people of God?

Yes, readers, watch the very selective encouragement of civil disobedience.  It is being used as a tool to manipulate and control an “intrinsically disordered” minority that is not fully human.

And the lesson is clear for all to see.  Keep our eyes focused. 

May 2005 - The New Pope 

Before the white smoke signaled that a new Pope had been chosen, a friend of mine called to ask, “What would you do if Cardinal Ratzinger were the chosen one?”   I thought for a bit, admitting he would be my last choice and said it would depend on what he DOES.  He comes to lead this church at a trying time throughout the world. And, if the President of the U.S. is not enough, a Ratzinger Pope will ensure, as the Chinese are wont to say, “ interesting times.”

The Cardinal opened the Conclave with a sermon on the “dictatorship of relativism,” adhering to the “core truth of moral values,” a “clear faith in fundamentalism,” and “ the evils of relativism, liberalism, and feminism.” 
This is how he spoke to those who then proceeded to elect him.  And, this is clearly the voice they chose.  Just how he implements these notions will be of interest to most thinking Catholics worldwide.

Gone, I fear, are the hopes of those who wanted to extend the dream of Vatican II.  Gone, too, the hopes of those who wished to hear more honest open dialogue in the church about birth control, divorce, the role of women, celibacy requirements for priesthood, and homosexuality.

Yet, hope springs eternal.  Who will be picked to “enforce” the new Pope’s rulings?  Who will communicate with the seminaries, universities, and convents?  Who will speak to the financial troubles of the Third World?  Who will oversee the priest shortages and recommend practical solutions?  Who will dialogue with other religious traditions and cultures?

True, there may be simply and emphatically “ more of the same” as his predecessor or an ever so subtle shift in emphasis.

What is a person to do?  Well, everyone should and must follow his/her own individual, unique, and personally responsible conscience.  The term “cafeteria Catholic,” or “ a la carte Catholic” may become more common as individuals decide for themselves that birth control, divorce, married priests, homosexuality, etc. are not honestly, openly, and certainly not truthfully or rationally being treated by the church.  

Actually, as I look around the Catholic Church in this US of A, I would venture a guess that more than 75-80% have some serious reservations about this church.  And, not all are progressives or liberals.  I hear many conservatives lining up to object to death penalty anathemas, or those allowing “pre-emptive war.”

Take heart, gentle reader, the die hard conservatives once were loudly proclaiming that usury, slavery, theories of evolution, racial intermarriage, and the flatness of the world were proven by fundamentalist quotations from scripture.  And, a church that has shown it could mislead in more ways than one on the recent sex abuse cover-up has a long way to go to regain integrity, honesty, and veracity in the whole arena of its understanding of the range of human sexuality.

One caution and challenge for the new Pope, who invented the term “intrinsically disordered,” not from scripture, not from science, and not from reason, would be to cultivate and encourage a renewed look at the full range of human sexuality from science, biology, social studies, and honest and open dialogue rather than the ill informed and often poorly conceived notions that were acceptable in the past.  We have come a long way toward uncovering the scientific, social, and cultural ingredients of human sexuality in the past 150 years.  It would be a true bridge builder who would champion that study in a world filled with much skepticism, distrust, dishonesty, and disdain for the entire range of human sexuality.   Relying on the fears and prejudices and hatreds of the past simply will not do anymore.

So I will be staying and waiting and watching.  The available range of religious choices in this country is immense.  My own opinion is that we have this range because of the separation of church and state.  Should we continue to erode that separation, I feel we will become more like other intolerant fundamentalist governments.

“Interesting times” indeed.  

Easter 2005 - What is Dignity?  Why Dignity?

DIGNITY is an organization of Lesbian and Gay Catholics and their Friends that promotes the spiritual and temporal welfare of its members.

There is a chapter in Houston named DIGNITY/ HOUSTON; this chapter meets every Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. for mass at Grace Lutheran Church at 2515 Waugh @ Missouri in the Montrose area.  This small chapter has been in existence since 1974.

But with so many Catholic churches in the area, why should Gay and Lesbian Catholics support Dignity/ Houston?  The simple and complicated answer is that Dignity is the only parish in the city where Lesbians and Gays are not considered “intrinsically disordered.”  This is quite a claim; but, look at what forums preach this untested, anti-scientific, and irrational classification of human beings: schools, pulpits, publications, and the ultimate insult, the political forum where our bishops have eagerly joined into a rash move to further marginalize our tribe and enshrine “ intrinsically disordered” into the Constitution of the United States.

Of course, some don’t mind because they don’t pay much attention to politics and will just ignore the spiritual harm to their souls.  Others will say that the bishops are merely doing what Rome wants and do not care (really) about lesbians and gays or those who practice contraception, or that half of the weddings end in divorce.

If you truly believe that you are “intrinsically disordered,” you should attend and support those who define you.  However, if you disagree, then you should follow your conscience and your heart to worship with those who tell the truth, listen to others, and show compassion for the families and friends of lesbian and gay human beings.

February 2005 - The Dignity Cross

When you attend Mass sponsored by Dignity/Houston it will be worth your time to reflect for a while on the multifaceted symbolism involved in the Dignity Cross. This unique symbol was designed, fabricated, and presented by Dignity-Houston member Bob Singleton.

There are four distinct symbols conjoined in this simple cross. 

It is this last symbol that unites and radiates special rays of Hope for our community.

For as powerful, universal, unique, and personal the other three symbols are in their own way, the Pink Triangle is a sign of oppression, contempt, despair, and defeat.  The Pink Triangle was a symbol chosen by those who openly, legally, and officially hated and despised our tribe in the twentieth century.  Their best-known dictator was Adolph Hitler with his Nazi Party.

Certainly the attempt to annihilate all traces of Judaism and the Hebrew race were done on a far greater scale.  Yet the fear, anger, and hatred as well as ignorance were equally inflicted on our tribe. Homosexuals were required to wear the Pink Triangle in Nazi concentration camps; and it was often said that even Jews, with their yellow Stars of David, were treated better.

As you look at this multifaceted symbol the next time, remember that the three sided of that triangle, in addition to being a recognized symbol of the Trinity, also reflects the determination of some people to preach, teach and promote the notions that homosexuality is perverted and homosexual human beings are less than full members of the human race, as children of a lesser God and unworthy to be considered fully Christian, all in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Back to DignityHouston Home Page

Publications of names and/or organizations should not be construed as an indication of sexual orientation. 

Dignity/Houston is not affiliated with nor endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church or the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.