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Photo: Peter Stoop
A U R O R A C AT H O L I C D I O C E S E O F M A I T L A N D - N E W C A S T L E
Nicholas Mowbray, who is supportive of the formation of the LGBTIQ Catholic Forum, pictured with his partner Nat Little.
Forum embraces LGBTIQ community TODD DAGWELL
Coming out as gay more than 30 years ago was a “traumatic” experience for Lawrie Hallinan, not least because he felt rejected by the Catholic Church and alienated from his faith community. “Catholics as a group have a degree of embarrassment around the topic of homosexuality,” says Mr Hallinan. “I have never heard a positive reference to gay people in a homily and in parish prayers. This leads people to form a view that the Church believes only heterosexual relationships are approved by God and everything else is an abomination.” Mr Hallinan says he and other LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) people of faith experience God’s love because of – not despite of – their sexuality. Nicholas Mowbray experienced similar feelings of isolation attempting to reconcile his same-sex orientation with his Catholic faith. Now 38, he came out as gay five years ago in more accepting social times but has long been disappointed by the Church’s public position on same-sex lifestyles. “I’m blessed with the most loving network of family and friends and in the end my coming out really wasn’t a huge deal, just a huge relief,” says Mr Mowbray. “However, my Catholic faith is so central to who I am as a person and some of the public statements of the Church have not been as welcoming or accepting. “Before he became Pope Benedict, Cardinal Ratzinger said that being homosexual was ‘unnatural’. That is fairly
offensive to someone who believes we are all created in the image of God and have the dignity of being a child of God.” In contrast, Mr Mowbray believes the approach by Pope Francis has been overwhelmingly positive.“Early in his pontificate he said, ‘if someone is gay and wants a relationship with God, who am I to judge them’. I’ve never forgotten that.” Last year, Mr Hallinan and others organised a workshop on building an inclusive Church community. An outcome of the workshop was the establishment of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle LGBTIQ Catholic Forum. The forum’s underlying mission is to promote pastoral care of LGBTIQ people and their inclusion in the life of their Catholic community. “Very few dioceses have a pastoral ministry to LGBTIQ people,” says Mr Hallinan. “Where these ministries aren’t endorsed by diocesan leaders it raises the question ‘are we really welcome?’ Bishop Bill and this Diocese have been very receptive.” Bishop Bill Wright says a forum is classically a meeting place for discussion. “In a forum, people can speak freely and are called upon to listen respectfully to each other, with a view to finding common ground and recognising, despite whatever differences there may be, the things that unite them,” he says. “In a time when too many groups just shout at each other, it is important that in the Church we promote respectful dialogue about the things that matter to us, in shared faith and mutual love. I was pleased to be asked to approve such a forum in this Diocese.”
The founding members of the forum are committed to making the Church a safe space for all and they have pledged to “listen to, learn from and journey with the LGBTIQ people who are members of our parishes and workers within our schools, welfare and other shared services within the Diocese”. Amanda Mohr is a PDHPE teacher at St Pius X High School in Adamstown and says students and their families from LGBTIQ backgrounds deserve a community that openly accepts them, irrespective of their sexual preference and gender identity. “If young people feel isolated in our schools, we miss a key opportunity to support all aspects of their health – social, emotional, spiritual, mental and physical,” she says. “By participating of the forum I hope to demonstrate my commitment to loving and supporting all students who come into my care, without judgment. I also trust it will give our schools greater understanding of the challenges some of our students face, allowing for greater access to equity long term.” The danger of excluding people based on sexual orientation was evident in research released last month that found the mental health of LGBTIQ people is four times worse than the rest of the population. La Trobe University’s Private Lives Survey of 7000 LGBTIQ people found 57 per cent experience high or very high levels of psychological distress, while about 40 per cent report thoughts about suicide. La Trobe University associate professor
Adam Bourne says despite all the legal advancements, a great many LGBTIQ people still experience appalling levels of stigma, discrimination, violence, or abuse. Sydney priest Peter Maher has provided pastoral care for LGBTIQ people for more than 30 years at his inner-city church. He is a member of the Rainbow Catholics InterAgency for Ministry – Australia, which advocates for full equality and for justice for LGBTIQ people in a Catholic context. Fr Maher says he has witnessed a huge amount of damage caused by excluding gay people from the Church over the past three decades but is encouraged by what is happening in the Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle. “I’ve seen many gay people who have been excluded and damaged spiritually, physically and psychologically by the Church,” says Fr Maher. “The Maitland Newcastle Diocese has a very positive and inclusive approach towards the LGBTIQ community and has become a shining example for the rest of the Church.” Mr Mowbray believes the establishment of the forum is a major step in the right direction that will benefit anyone coming to terms with their sexual orientation and faith. While it has been a much longer road for Mr Hallinan, he is happy to see LGBTIQ people becoming a visible presence in the Church, just as they are in mainstream society. For more information visit mn.catholic.org. au/church-mission/lgbtiq-forum/
