Baltimore archbishop shares vision for inviting LGBT Catholics into 'journey of discipleship'

By George P. Jr. Matysek, OSV News

BALTIMORE (OSV News) -- Ministry to LGBT Catholics and their families must balance a "life-giving" tension between showing love and a genuine sense of welcome to all while also faithfully teaching the truth about human sexuality revealed by God in creation, Scripture and tradition.

That is the core message that runs throughout Archbishop William E. Lori's "Like Every Disciple," a 14-page document released July 20 that offers guidelines for parish ministries involved in the pastoral accompaniment of LGBT parishioners and their families in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

"Persons who may identify as LGBT are daughters and sons of God, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, they are members of the Body of Christ, they are our family members and friends," Archbishop Lori wrote. "Like every human person, they were created with a desire for intimacy with Jesus Christ. Like every disciple, LGBT persons are called to a lifelong journey of turning toward the Lord, receiving his love, and, in turn, seeking to know and love him more and more deeply every day."

Archbishop Lori noted that no matter a person's gender or sexual orientation, "God loves us where we are, as we are."

"But God is always inviting us to a more abundant life," he said. "God loves us too much to leave us as we are. He calls each and every one of us to a lifelong journey of growing closer to him, in a word: discipleship."

Archbishop Lori said the desire for charity, the desire to "truly welcome and embrace" sexual minorities, to hear their stories and to walk with them in their struggles is essential. Otherwise, accompaniment isn't possible. At the same time, Archbishop Lori said, the response of the church must "always be one of truth."

"If we are to love people, in the truest and deepest way, we must desire their good," he wrote. "To love is to desire the good of the other. This requires us to ask questions about what is truly good: What are we made for? What does it mean to be a human person? What is the meaning of human sexuality? What is sacred about our embodied nature?"

Without facing those questions in light of "revealed truth," Archbishop Lori said, ministries to LGBT persons cannot bear fruit.

"This teaching is not an obstacle to human flourishing around which we navigate," he said, "but rather is an invitation to the abundant life that God promises. The truth is not something we create, but something we receive as a gift."

While the archbishop acknowledged the tension between balancing charity and truth, he noted that in Jesus, they are one. In the past, various parish ministries to LGBT people have tended to emphasize one or the other. "We need both," the archbishop said.

The pastoral guidelines note that those who lead ministries to LGBT persons must be disciples of Christ. They must treat all people with respect, compassion and sensitivity, helping the church witness to the fact that LGBT persons are valued members and that they belong.

"Every parish should extend to LGBT persons the radical hospitality of Christ," the document said.

Ministry to LGBT people must be a "safe place" where people are free to share their stories and know they will be welcomed and heard without condemnation. Like every ministry, the document added, the goal of reaching out to LGBT persons is to form missionary disciples.

"The experience of LGBT persons means that they approach this journey of discipleship within a particular context, yet the deepest needs of their heart are the same," it continued.

The guidelines noted that all Catholics are called to chastity -- a calling that can be a "great struggle" in today's culture. Those who are engaged in that struggle may fail time and again, the document said, "but their striving deserves our deepest respect, admiration and support."

"While it is important that those involved are able to grapple with church teaching, these ministries cannot be aimed at changing the teaching of the church," the guidelines said. "The teaching of the church is not merely a set of policies, but the handing on of revealed truth. As such, church teaching should not be reduced to worldly or political categories."

Any ministry involving minors must be "family-based, carefully considered, age-appropriate and distinct from ministry with adults," according to the guidelines.

"In a particular way, pastoral accompaniment of minors experiencing gender nonconformity must be in accordance with the teaching of the church," the document said.

The archbishop said he hoped the guidelines will encourage a "holistic approach" to LGBT ministry. He noted that any parish engaging in any form of ministry with LGBT persons and their families must share with him its plans for ministry and receive his approval.

Pastors and leadership of LGBT ministries must be in ongoing conversation with certain archdiocesan leaders, including the archdiocesan coordinator of LGBT ministry, the document said.

Father Matthew Buening, coordinator of LGBT ministry for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said he is encouraged by the "pastoral tone" of Archbishop Lori's "Like Every Disciple" document. The archbishop appointed Father Buening to the newly created archdiocesan post in LGBT ministry in 2021. The priest also serves as pastor of two Baltimore parishes, St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament.

"('Like Every Disciple') is meant to encourage and support this kind of growing ministry in the church today," Father Buening told Catholic Review, newspaper for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

The pastor said many people misconstrue church teachings on sexuality as "mean" and "unwelcoming" rather than viewing them as a "beautiful truth."

"If we embrace the truth that the church teaches, we'll find that it's actually not against anyone," he said. "It's meant for our human flourishing. It's meant for us to live lives that will be a blessing to us. There's a lot of work to be done on charitably and clearly conveying the church's teaching. And once that happens, I think a lot of this tension that people feel will kind of dissolve a little bit."

After an initial draft of the guidelines, a wide consultation included pastors in parishes with LGBT ministries, as well as gay and lesbian Catholics, people who identify as transgender, family members and scientific experts. The multiple layers of consultations included group meetings and individuals. Some of those involved in the consultation voiced criticism of certain aspects of the document.

After listening and receiving this input as part of the discerning process for the document, Archbishop Lori finalized the guidelines -- which are primarily addressed to pastoral leaders -- to address the pastoral concerns for ministries to LGBT Catholics and their families.

In his letter accompanying the release of the letter, the archbishop said he wanted to provide those who are ministering in parishes and schools with "a way of approaching this ministry that is rooted in the life-giving tension we often find between charity and truth."

Father Buening said the document intentionally avoids being a "how-to manual" in the field of parish-based LGBT ministry. Instead, it "sets up the guardrails."

"It shows the out-of-bounds lines and the playing field," he said, "and allows the Holy Spirit to guide these many ministries so it can go forward in the best and most effective way it can within those guidelines."