experiences of God, of church, of life? We do not ask
that. We do not listen. Sadly, many bishops do not
know lgbt Catholics and their experiences.
Do any of these images in Precious Blood spirituality
(Cross, Covenant, Cup, Lamb) connect with your per-
spective of the image of the Two-Way-Bridge between
Church Leadership and lgbt Catholics?
The most vivid of those images, for me, are the
cross and the cup.
The cross makes me think of the suffering that
lgbt Catholics have gone through. Real suffering.
Not only have LGBT persons been marginalized,
but they have felt real violence in many places of our
country and still in our world. lgbt people have shed
blood. I think of people like Matthew Shepherd or
the men in Chechnya right now. There is a real call to
stand with people beneath the cross in their suffering.
The cup is also a beautiful image, in that we share
the bread and the cup with them as Jesus did. The
cup is, in one sense, a very straightforward image—as
a way to extend the chalice of salvation to a person.
During the Mass, we not only invite them into our
communities in a broad way, but also in the specific
way of welcoming them into the worshiping commu-
nity. It’s powerful for us to offer them the cup and to
remember they have already drank from the cup.
The suffering of lgbt Catholics brings a great deal
to the church—especially in a church that talks about
redemptive suffering. Some of that suffering has
come from the church—bishops, priests, deacons, sis-
ters, lay associates—who have said and done incred-
ibly hurtful things to them, and about them. lgbt
Catholics, in my estimation, are the most marginal-
ized group in the church. They have been patient and
gentle through their suffering. These are gifts that
they bring to the church.
What steps do you think the lgbt community can
take to be aware of and in solidarity with the very dif-
ferent experiences of lgbt Catholics elsewhere in the
world?
In the talk I was proposing that when church
teaching comes out, lgbt Catholics look at how
those words will appear in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin
America, or in India, and not just in the West. When
Amoris Laetitia came out, for example, it said that
we need to remind lgbt Catholics of their inherent
worth. Now, imagine reading that in Sub-Saharan
Africa. What seems tepid to us, is threatening to
someone el se. So it’s a plea to look at the church’s
teaching internationally.
lgbt Americans are also called to stand with lgbt
Catholics elsewhere in the world. \You can look at
what lgbt Catholics experience elsewhere in the
world, for example in Chechnya, and legitimately ask
why the Vatican would not come out against these
gay men being killed, just as we would stand with any
group of people elsewhere in the world.
Among your experiences with Church leaders, what
gives you the most hope going forward to the strength-
ening of this bridge?
All the church leaders I know—cardinals, archbish-
ops, bishops—are good men. Now, I do not have any
power in the church—I am not a bishop or a cardi-
nal—but they are kind to me, and very pastoral. I see
them in action, and I see them wanting to be good
Christians and good servants of the Gospel. So, they
are good people, and that gives me hope. Some of
them may not have had much experience with lgbt
people, so it’s not surprising that they may not know
how to reach out to lgbt people.
What gives you the most hope from your perspective
of experiences with lgbt Catholics going forward?
lgbt Catholics have an incredibly strong faith
that has endured marginalization and persecution in
the church. I think their faith is as strong as anyone
else in the church. They have put up with more than
anyone else in the church, and yet they have stayed.
Like Jesus when he met the Roman Centurion, I am
amazed by their faith.
Is there anything additionally you hope readers will
take away from this book?
In addition to a call to build a bridge between lgbt
Catholics and Church leaders, the second half of the
book is a compendium of biblical passages and reflec-
tion questions for lgbt Catholics and their families
and friends. I was happy to put these resources in the
book as an invitation to meditate and grow spiritu-
ally. This book is meant to deepen everyone’s spiritual
lives.
Fr. James Martin, s.j., is a Jesuit priest, editor at
large of America magazine, and bestselling author of
The Abbey, Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide
to (Almost) Everything, and Between Heaven and
Mirth. His latest book, Building a Bridge: How the
Catholic Church and the lgbt Community Can
Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion,
May 2017 • The New Wine Press • 11