Lexington priests express support for LGBTQ Catholics, especially youths
Recently 21 active and retired clergy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington signed a statement supporting LGBTQ Catholics.
The document is likely to draw fire from conservative Catholics, who tend to oppose such expressions by church leaders.
Among other things, the signatories “proclaim to our LGBTQ community, especially our youth, that we your pastors and priests stand with you, oppose any form of violence directed toward you, and denounce bullying, harmful rhetoric, and harassment directed at you.”
The document is gracious in tone. But it also could seem confusing, given that the Roman Catholic Church, like many Christian denominations, frowns on both gay marriage and any sexual relations—straight as well as gay—outside heterosexual marriage.
Seeking clarity, I interviewed Stan “JR” Zerkowski, a layman who is director of the diocese’s LGBT Ministry. He promoted the priests’ statement.
I’ve condensed and edited our lengthy email conversation.
Q: Why issue a statement of support for LGBT youths at this particular time? Is it part of a larger effort nationwide, or perhaps part of an initiative by Pope Francis?
Zerkowski: (Lexington) Bishop John (Stowe) was one of 12 bishops who signed the Tyler Clementi statement against LGBT bullying.
I took the statement and made it a bit more robust. Following the lead of Bishop John, I knew that it would be meaningful to LGBT persons, especially the youth here in the Diocese of Lexington, who have heard unkind and hurtful things from priests and parishioners in the past.
Rhetoric that demeans and is hurtful to LGBT persons/youth led youth to despair. In the nearly five years I have been doing this since I began the LGBT ministry at Historic Saint Paul Catholic Church, I have personally had five youths reach out to me here in Lexington—all Catholic—and all on the brink of suicide. They saw themselves as damned by the Church and by God, by their Catholic parents and by the Catholic community. They heard this during their religious education or from a priest. One person was told “you better find somewhere else to go on a Sunday morning because you aren’t welcome here” when he came out to his priest. I knew this had to stop and that change must occur.
(This) visible sign of solidarity and promise of support from pastors/priests allows those on the peripheries to know there are priests that will support them publicly.
Pope Francis has repeatedly stressed the dignity of the person and has made no secret of his support for gay people, including at least one gay couple who are his friends. He has asked the Church to build the “culture of encounter” and this is one concrete way.
Q: I’m not Catholic, but I was under the impression the Catholic church teaches that LGBT relationships, including but not limited to gay marriage, are sinful. Am I wrong? And, if I’m right, how does this statement mesh with that?
Zerkowski : The Church teaches and maintains that the Sacrament of Matrimony is reserved for heterosexual couples. Civil law states that the marriage contract can be entered into by same-sex couples. Holy Matrimony is the term used by the Church for the sacrament and marriage is the civil term. (Still), the Church must find ways to accompany and pastorally minister to those who have opted for legal marriage.
Church teachings on morality and marriage are clear regarding sexual activities outside of marriage … and sex acts in marriage are reserved solely for procreation. Any sexual act is contra naturam (against nature) if it is done outside of marriage between a man and a woman and (isn’t) open to conception—and thus it is intrinsically disordered—and mortally sinful.
The Church teaches that all—heterosexual, gay, married, single—are called to chastity; that said, the Church (made up of all the baptized, including priests) is not called to presume judgment or execute or cheer on witch-hunts (that) target only LGBT people in terms of their presumed “sinfulness.” We are all sinners, after all. To unjustly discriminate against LGBT persons equally goes against Church teaching.
The statement the priests signed is not challenging any Church teaching. Rather, it is saying that at the heart of the Church’s teaching is Jesus’s message of love, mercy and compassion.
Q: What are the practical effects of a statement such as this? Do you have programs in place now for LGBT youths or plan new ones?
Zerkowski :The practical effects are:
▪ The statement demonstrates that nearly 50 percent of the (diocese’s priests are) willing to stand with, by way of a public statement, and affirm the dignity of LGBT persons, who are created in God’s image.
▪ Hopefully, this statement will save lives. When an LGBT person feels such despair that (it) leads to wanting to take their own life, this statement becomes a life-saving balm that demonstrates that the person is not alone, not outside the Catholic community, not condemned and judged by their pastors/priests.
▪ Hopefully, it begins a dialogue with parishioners and other priests and clergy about how we can accompany, intentionally welcome, and otherwise be there for LGBT youth/persons as a church.
▪ We have two LGBT groups at Lexington Catholic High School. After the pandemic, hopefully we can reach out to and find even more ways to restore dignity, restore relationship, and restore hope and confidence in LGBT Catholic youth and LGBT persons.
Q: Do you expect pushback over the statement?
Zerkowsk: Pushback is inevitable. Dialogue, though, is essential.
Paul Prather is pastor of Bethesda Church near Mount Sterling. You can email him at pratpd@yahoo.com.
This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Lexington priests express support for LGBTQ Catholics, especially youths."