Prominent Catholic Priest Wants Church to Celebrate Gay Pride Month

"Father" Martin is at it again

Staff Writer

James Martin is a Jesuit priest, the editor at large @Americamag and consultor to the Dicastery for Communication @VaticanNew. He’s a very prominent Roman Catholic known for having an outreach ministry for proud and open LGBTQ Catholics, whom Martin is fighting for full inclusion in the life of the church.

Previously Pope Francis commended his work, saying that saying his ministry seeks to “imitate the style of God” and that “your pastoral zeal and your ability to be close to people, with the closeness that Jesus had, and which reflects the closeness of God.”

James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ

Pope Francis @Pontifex has sent a beautiful letter on the occasion of the Outreach LGBTQ Catholic Ministry Webinar, which happened yesterday, expressing his support for this ministry and encouraging us to imitate God's "style" of "closeness, compassion and tenderness"...

Martin is at it again, this time arging that Catholics should celebrate Pride month, as a way to recognize the dignity of the gay or trans person.

James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ

Can Catholics celebrate Pride Month? Yes, because for the #LGBTQ person it is not about celebrating vanity but recognizing human dignity. For the religious person, it is also a reminder that LGBTQ people are beloved children of God. #Pride2022

outreach.faithCan Catholics celebrate Pride Month? Yes, and here’s why.It’s important for churches to mark Pride Month and remind our LGBTQ friends that they are welcome in what is, after all, their church, too.

In his linked article, he reveals:

…Pride is a consciousness of one’s own dignity. And that’s closer to what Pride Month is meant to be for the LGBTQ community: a recognition of the human dignity of a group of people who have, for centuries been, treated with contempt, rejection and violence. “

He goes on to add that “Pride Month reminds Catholics to treat LGBTQ people with the “respect, compassion and sensitivity” and that ” it’s especially important for churches to mark Pride Month since much of the rejection that LGBTQ people have faced has been motivated by Christianity-at least what many people think Christianity teaches.”

He concludes by explaining:

Just because you celebrate Pride Month doesn’t mean that you necessarily agree with what every person, every organization or even every float in every parade has to say. Pride Month is mainly about supporting the fundamental human rights of the LGBTQ community: the right to live in safety, the right to be treated as equals, and the right to be fully welcome in society.