Chicago: archdiocesan gay Mass regularly celebrates, affirms ‘orientations and identities’
August 08, 2011
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The Archdiocese of Chicago’s weekly gay and lesbian Mass celebrates and affirms participants’ “orientations and identities,” according to a notice posted in the Windy City Times.
In June, the scheduling of a "pride Mass" to coincide with Gay Pride Month in a Boston parish church caused a considerably controversy. The Boston archdiocese forced postponement of the service, but then allowed a "welcoming Mass" in July. In the Chicago archdiocese, however, similar services are held on a regular basis.
“The Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach (AGLO-Chicago), which has held a weekly welcoming, open, and celebratory GLBTQ Roman Catholic mass on Sunday evenings at 690 W. Belmont [Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church] for the past 23 years, announces its first open search for the position of AGLO Choir Director,” the notice states.
“AGLO-Chicago is one of only a few parish communities in the world that celebrates and affirms our community's orientations and identities, while providing our community with an opportunity to retain the rich traditions and culture of the mass.”
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Further information:
- AGLO-Chicago seeks Choir Director (Windy City Times)
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
- Boston: archdiocesan-approved Mass for gays and lesbians takes place (CWN, 7/11)
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Posted by: lauriem5377 -
Aug. 09, 2011 2:06 AM ET USA
The use of the Holy Mass by shepherds at the highest levels of our Church to perpetrate scandal and confusion regarding the teachings of our Lord,Jesus Christ,seems so grievous. Please pray now for their souls and pray that their actions do not lead others (especially our children) away from the true teachings of our Lord and the Church He founded.
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Posted by: hartwood01 -
Aug. 09, 2011 12:08 AM ET USA
Does the good clergy know that celibacy is not valued in this lifestyle? Does chastity only apply to heterosexuals? My guess is that they are not naive, so what would be the reason?
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Posted by: koinonia -
Aug. 08, 2011 9:50 PM ET USA
Wow. Who knew? Safeguarding the "rich traditions and culture of the mass" is a wonderful service to the Catholics of Chicago.
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Posted by: Chestertonian -
Aug. 08, 2011 9:10 PM ET USA
From their website: On April 29, 1990 AGLOChicago celebrated its first Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Approximately 100 participants attended. Joseph Cardinal Bernardin presided at two of AGLOChicago's anniversary Masses: its third in June of 1991 and its fifth in June of 1993. Frances Cardinal George presided at AGLOChicago's tenth anniversary in June 1998. October of 1999 AGLOChicago hosted the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries conference. --Not good!
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Posted by: DrJazz -
Aug. 08, 2011 7:57 PM ET USA
Sorry, but this kind of stuff needs to be rooted out of the Church. We don't have an "Archdiocesan Adulterer Outreach," an "Archdiocesan Fornicator Outreach," an "Archdiocesan Thief Outreach," or an "Archdiocesan Murderer Outreach." There shouldn't be one for homosexuals either. The Church reaches out to all sinners equally. It is up to us to respond to the Gospel as it is, not a special version of it filtered for our personal faults.
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Posted by: florentine -
Aug. 08, 2011 7:52 PM ET USA
Maybe all dioceses should have a special Mass for adulterers too ... or those with that particular orientation or inclination, assuring them there is nothing wrong with the inclination. Good grief, doesn't the sin always begin in the thought ... so wouldn't it be wiser to encourage all, no matter what the weakness, to rise above any and ALL sinful orientations and inclinations? The Mass is a time of thanksgiving, receiving Jesus, and not an opportunity to affirm and celebrate sin, in any form.
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Posted by: Lucius49 -
Aug. 08, 2011 4:33 PM ET USA
Many have bought into the overly benign interpretation of the homosexual condition rejected by the Holy See. The Church teaches: an overly benign interpretation was given to the homosexual condition itself, some going so far as to call it neutral, or even good. Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder SCDF 1986