CHICAGO — Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George will be visiting Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 708 W. Belmont, Chicago, in the heart of Chicago’s Gay Ghetto Sunday, June 16, at 7 p.m. The visit was requested by the Board of Directors of the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach Ministry to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
A demonstration will be held in front of the Church led by the Gay Liberation Network and Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM), while inside individuals attending the Mass will stand when the Cardinal approaches the lectern to give his sermon, and turn their backs on him while he preaches.
The Cardinal in his most recent column in the Chicago Catholic New World indicates in the first two paragraphs that he wants to take part in public conversation about Gay Marriage but closes off further discussion when he says that the subject is closed by reason of Jesus’ statements about marriage in Matthew’s Gospel. We doubt the Cardinal’s sincerity in this matter. He follows up by congratulating those who successfully urged Illinois legislators recently to give no consideration to a bill allowing same-sex marriage in the state.
The RSM has informed Cardinal George by letter that if he shows up he will be met with open opposition. In the same letter he was told of our willingness to meet with him to discuss the issue.
Joe Murray, Executive Director of the Rainbow Sash Movement said “Our message to the Cardinal is simple hate is easy, love takes courage, and the kind of faith based bigotry he promotes is not welcome in Chicago’s LGBT Community. This visit is especially poignant since it takes place during June which is the month our community celebrates Gay Pride.”
Many in today’s Church support Gay Marriage and feel a disconnect with the Cardinal because he has become detached from the concept of social justice and human dignity and wallows in the caves of bigotry when it comes to Gay Marriage. His incoherence of the reasoning is simply startling
Increasingly the Cardinal’s political activity shows open contempt for LGBT People. His trust in the promotion of bigotry over moral dialogue or ethical analysis only highlights how dysfunctional and unreasonable his position is. Clearly he does not agree with the concept of separation of Church and State when it comes to marriage.
