CATHOLIC WORKER STATEMENT CALLING FOR CONFESSION OF AND REPENTANCE FOR HETEROSEXISM
We are past and present Catholic Workers who come together to speak in support of The United Nations Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity presented to the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2008. The declaration condemns violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also condemns killings and executions, torture, arbitrary arrest, and deprivation of economic, social, and cultural rights on those grounds.
For nearly a millennium, millions of our sisters and brothers who have been, or were perceived to have been lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender have endured unspeakable acts of hatred and violence that have devastated their lives and, in countless instances, led to their deaths. Today, 77 nations still criminalize these children of God based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, and in seven nations these "crimes" are punishable by death. As recently as 2003, the United States of America still had such laws in effect in several states.
Throughout the history of the Catholic Worker movement, these brothers and sisters have stood with us, praying together, performing works of mercy together, witnessing for justice together, being arrested together, and sitting in jail together. They have stood with us even though we have often denied and mistreated them. We have done those things we have done together because we shared a common belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ that the greatest commandment is that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and that our love is measured by what we do for the least of these.
The sanctity of romantic and filial love inherent in this commandment is self-evident. The clear God-given blessing of these expressions of love inspire us to care for one another as much we care for ourselves and lead us to form families and communities to more closely express, as Jesus taught, that God is Love.
When there is no greater love than that love for which one would lay down one's life for a friend, love so expressed can only come from God. Where there is love so compelling that one will stay true to that love even when it calls one to leave one's father and mother and all that was treasured before that love was known, that love can only come from God. When a love triumphs over grave after grave after grave, that love can only come from God. To confess rather than deny before the world the love placed in one's heart by God though others revile you, persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for its sake is striking and irrefutable evidence of God and that the words of Jesus are lasting and true.
The trust that God has given to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender daughters and sons has not been misplaced, and this is evinced by their unfailing witness of love so described. By their fruits, we know them. They have continued to love us, even when we didn't love them, and their labors have led only to a deeper understanding of love, strengthened and expanded communities, reconciliation among the faithful, and a world in which it is easier to love.
To neither cherish nor express our gratitude for this blessing is a desecration of God's love and therefore a sin. This sin is not ameliorated by abstractions or by hiding behind the parsing of terminology or other deviations that serve to rationalize the sin. Exposing this sin, however controversial, does not derail nor shrink any other concern for peace and justice on our path. We know that fearing to take this position now will.
Because historic and contemporary acceptance and practice of a sin does not diminish the obligation of a contrite heart to confess it, we choose to repent. Furthermore, we hold that heterosexist bigotry is not based in nor supported by the gospels but is a human invention wrought by fear, ignorance, and greed. Therefore, now and forever, we confess all our sins of heterosexism against our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters within and outside the Catholic Worker Movement; we ask these sisters and brothers and God to forgive us our sins against them, and we pledge our best efforts to go and sin no more.
As part of our penance, we call upon all nations, in particular the United States of America, all organized entities, and people of faith to join us in repentance and to:
Endorse enthusiastically and without equivocation the 2008 United Nations Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as well as any such future declarations.
Renounce all public remarks made regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people that serve to demean, degrade, or foment hostility toward and discrimination against them such as, but not limited to, those comments made by religious leaders comparing them to pedophiles or saying they are more threatening than global warming. Moreover we ask those who have made such ascriptions to confess the cruelty of these words and to recant them.
While we pray and wait for these things, we join hands with our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters willing and prepared to share any slight, bear any burden, and suffer any affliction with them until the day they are regarded by all human kind as worthy and equal to us all, as they have always been held in the eyes of God.
Respectfully submitted,
The Des Moines Catholic Worker Community
Mona Shaw
Ed Bloomer
Frank Cordaro
Renee Espeland
Norman Searah
Tracy Robson
Jan Covington
Tom Schmidt
Kara Speltz, former Catholic Worker and administrator with Soulforce www.soulforce.org
Bob Bossie, SCJ
Rosalie Riegle
Fr. River Sims, Temenos Catholic Worker, San Francisco, CA
Ellen Naney
Jacqueline Dickey, formerly of Des Moines Catholic Worker
Jerry Ebner, Omaha Catholic Worker
Jim Reagan, St. Joseph Catholic Worker, New York
Dale King, Mary House Catholic Worker in Austin, TX
Lynn Goodman Strauss, Mary House Catholic Worker in Austin, TX
Mary Margaret ("Mia") Nussbaum
Elton Davis
Brian Terrell, Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker, Maloy, Iowa
Sarah Brook
Vicki Kline, formerly of Holy Family House Catholic Worker, Kansas City, MO
William F. Watts, Martin De Porres Community, San Francisco, CA
Scott Mathern-Jacobson
David and Barbara Corcoran, Des Plaines, IL
Stephanie Riccobene, Cleveland, OH
Eda Uca-Dorn, formerly of Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
Steve Clemens, Community of St. Martin (Minneapolis)
Martha Hennessy
Karla Hansen
Denis Murphy FSC, Su Casa Catholic Worker, Chicago, IL
Roger F.Miller
Cheryl Schultz, Lily Sparrow House, Owatonna, MN
Robert Cook, Des Moines, IA
Maria Downs
Mary Sullivan, (Pax Christi Member), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Mary McDonough-Harren
Robert Oberbillig
Michael Harank
Lynn Fallon
Don Timmerman
Roberta Thurstin Timmerman
Margaret Vernon, Indianola, IA
Eloise M. Cranke, Des Moines, IA
Jack Hereford
Mrs. and Mrs. Marla and Phyllis Stevens
Bryan, Liza and Francesca Apper, St. Benedict Catholic Worker, Fresno, CA
Kathleen Desautels, SP, 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago, IL
TL Michael Auman, OFM Cap., formerly of Detroit Catholic Worker
Leonard Simons
Jack Mayer
Dr. Peter Gathje, Emmanual House Catholic Worker Community. Memphis, TN
Mike Uca-Dorn, formerly of Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington, DC
Mary Pope
Rev. Rex E. Piercy, former Des Moines pastor chair of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa
Rich Reinhardt, OFM Cap., formerly of Haley House (Boston)
Jack Hereford
Suzanne Sheridan
Yvonne Williamson Rooney, Vancouver Catholic Workers, Canada
Chris Williamson Rooney, The Christian Radical and Vancouver Catholic Worker
Bruce Triggs, formerly of Tacoma, WA, Catholic Worker
Petria Malone, formerly of the Portland Catholic Worker, Portland, OR
Steve Jacobs, Catholic Worker, Columbia, MO
Chris and Joan Montesano, Sheep Ranch Catholic Worker Farm
Pam Quatse, formerly of Maryhouse Catholic Worker, New York
Martha Miller, formerly of the New York Catholic Worker
Robbie Gamble
Mike and Kathy Niece, formerly of the Coastside Catholic Worker, Half Moon Bay, CA
Sharon Wilson, formerly of Maryhouse, NY Catholic Worker
Toni Leonetti, Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapist, Former Nun
Mike and Kathy Niece, formerly of the Coastside Catholic Worker, Half Moon Bay, CA
Janet Zajac Shartle, formerly of Maryhouse New York
Karl Meyer
Gary Donatelli
Friar Louis Vitale, OFM, Franciscan Peace and Justice
Christine Gaunt, Grinnell, Iowa
Karen House Catholic Worker, St. Louis, MO
Teka Childress Catholic Worker, St. Louis, MO
Dave Corcoran
Karla Braig, Dubuque (Iowa) Catholic Worker
Clark McMullen
Scott Schumacher, Hannah House, Loaves and Fishes Catholic Worker, Duluth, MN
Linda Stenman, Stockholm, Sweden
William LeMosy, Des Moines, Iowa
Katy and Joe Herren Mueller, New Orleans, LA., Catholic Worker
Sue and Paul Troyano, New Orleans, LA., Catholic Worker
Dan Thelen, New Orleans, LA., Catholic Worker
Katy Quigley, New Orleans, LA, (formerly NYC, Austin, TX, and Salinas, California Catholic Worker)
Cheryl Weaver, Waterloo, IA
Richard Cleaver, Grinnell, IA, (formerly Des Moines and NYC Catholic Worker)
Miriam Ford, Bronx, New York, friend of Maryhouse and St. Joe's Catholic Worker houses
An international map indicating the status of legal persecution and legal protections of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people may be seen by clicking here.
In December, 2008, a number of cruel and ignorant public statements regarding same sex relationships were made by church leadership that weighed heavily on the hearts in our community.
After deep prayer and reflection, our souls demanded that we publicly confess and repent our sins of heterosexism and call others to do the same.
After sharing our intention with other sisters and brothers, they, too, asked that their names be added to this public confession and repentance.
If you would like to add your name to this statement, please email Mona Shaw