Pope Francis and the church

Many of us Catholics feel that our church has left us. We have not left the church. The last two popes, especially, have used very hurtful and ugly words when talking about homosexuality, divorce, adoption, women’s rights, etc., etc.

I truly believe if Jesus came down to Earth he would weep when he would see how so many Christian leaders use his name and teachings to hurt people and turn them away.

I’ve been a Catholic all my life and when I was an altar boy I dreamed of becoming a priest. (Well actually a cardinal.) Even in my youth I truly remember the “rumors” about our parish priest being “strange.” The facts are that we all know now that the Catholic Church has been corrupt and full of scandal for decades, especially in America.

The Church has sent so many mixed messages to us Catholics: you could not eat meat on Fridays and now you can. Some of the saints you worshiped as a child were later regarded as not really saints.

I know I was born a homosexual and I know that we are all God’s children. But my church has attacked me and yet many of us GLBT Catholics have and will hold on to our faith until the day we die.

For me some of the biggest hurt from my church came right here in San Diego when the still current local bishop and the Catholic Church refused to bury two good friends of mine named John. I will never ever forget the pain and suffering the Johns’ family and friends went through. And we all know that it was only because of the public pressure and media that this bishop finally granted them Catholic funerals.

Another deep hurt for me and other Catholics was during the early dark years of AIDS when I and former state Assemblyman Peter Chacon called upon this very same local San Diego bishop to say a mass for people with AIDS. He refused.

So after I let it be known to this bishop that I was prepared to organize a silent peaceful vigil protest on Christmas Eve at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, where he was scheduled to say mass … that parents, families and friends of those who had died of AIDS and were in fact in those days dying from AIDS would join me … this same San Diego bishop agreed to say a mass.

This year this San Diego bishop is finally retiring. He has hurt so many in his flock and I pray that our new bishop will be more compassionate and loving of all his flock.

Our new Pope Francis has also said some hurtful things when he was a cardinal in Argentina; but now he is our pope and what I’ve seen and heard so far I have hope that he will be more compassionate and loving when it comes to us homosexual Catholics.

I know in my heart that Pope Francis and my Catholic Church will not change their views on divorce, homosexuality, birth control, etc. in my lifetime, but I have hope that our new pope and new San Diego bishop will be more loving and caring of all of us Catholics.

Many of us pray for a kinder, gentler and caring pope and church and in my heart I hope and, yes, believe Pope Francis could be that bishop of Rome who truly loves all his flock and will not speak with words of hurt and harm.

I pray for our new pope and now, no matter what, know that I have been and will always be a Catholic.

The Iraq War

It has been said that “those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.” Many of us have witnessed both the Vietnam and Iraq Wars and they are, in all reality, the same.

This now marks the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War and almost 5,000 American soldiers have died and more than 30,000 wounded. More than $2 trillion has been spent on the Iraq War while thousands of Americans go to bed hungry every night.

We lost the Vietnam War and, yes, we have lost the Iraq War. These two countries’ people dislike Americans and this will never change.

I have known young men who have died in both wars. I know families who will grieve forever. I know veterans who are suffering … all for what?

We now know that our presidents and government lied to its citizens about the facts about both wars.

America seems to always have tried to buy friends and change foreign governments with money and the blood of our young soldiers.

Nothing has changed these last decades and we have not learned from history.

We should always be proud of all of our veterans and treat them with the dignity and respect that they all have earned and deserve.

It is our government, when it comes to the Vietnam and Iraq Wars that I am not proud of. Period.

The Republican Party

As long as I’ve written a weekly column in San Diego (since 1973) anytime I write about GLBT Republicans I have always gotten negative and ugly attacks.

I was a life-long Republican until AIDS and President Reagan’s administration of silence.

In the 1980s, then San Diego Democratic Party Chairwoman Irma Munoz re-registered me as a Democrat and the first Democratic presidential candidate I voted for was Jesse Jackson. I worked on his campaign and met him many times.

To this day I support both Democrats and Republicans and vote for the man or woman, not the party.

Yes, I have had the honor to serve and advise the last six mayors of San Diego. (Four Republicans and 2 Democrats.)

I believe that a true two-party system is best for our nation and both my GLBT and Latino communities. Yes, this recent Conservative Republican Conference, held just outside Washington, D.C., continues to have major party leaders who are anti-gay and anti-immigration reform.

But we would never have gotten Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell changed without the votes of Republican senators and many states that have passed marriage equality would not have done this without Republican votes. Period.

GLBT Republicans deserve our respect and support as they are on the front lines of activism to change their party. They face negativity and hate by some of their fellow Republicans. Do their GLBT brothers and sisters also have to be so ugly and negative too?

I believe that both a Republican and Democratic Party supporting GLBT rights and being supportive of people of color concerns would make for a better America and be better for both my GLBT and Latino communities.

Bourbon Street Bingo next Tuesday

Please join Candi Samples, Allan Spyere and me for a one-night only return of fabulous and outrageous Charity Bingo this coming Tuesday, March 26 at Bourbon Street, starting at 8 p.m.

Lots of great prizes and all the proceeds go to the 10th annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt.

Hope to see you all there. Thank you.

Nicole Murray Ramirez has been an award-winning columnist since 1973, and a Latino and gay activist for well over 40 years. He is currently a city commissioner and has served the last six mayors of San Diego. He is also a national board member of the Harvey Milk Foundation and chairman of the International Court Council of the USA, Canada and Mexico. Nicolemrsandiego@aol.com