Dear Pope Francis

July 27, 2015

DignityUSA

<a href=https://www.dignityusa.org/file/674/download?token=C6wafi_z>Download</a> a copy of this letter.                              <mediawrapper data=><img alt=DignityUSA Logo class=media-element file-default data-fid=675 data-media-element=1 height=79 src=https://www.dignityusa.org/sites/default/files/DUSA%20Logo.png typeof=foaf:Image width=146 /></mediawrapper>                                                     <mediawrapper data=><img alt=Blue glaad logo class=media-element file-default data-fid=676 data-media-element=1 height=79 src=https://www.dignityusa.org/sites/default/files/Blue%20glaaad%20logo.png typeof=foaf:Image width=146 /></mediawrapper> June 25 2015 His Holiness Pope Francis Apostolic Palace 00120 Vatican City Dear Pope Francis Like millions of others we are eagerly anticipating your Pastoral Visit to the United States. Some of us will be among the crowds that will greet you in person. All of us will be following your travels and praying that this visit helps bring better unity to the Body of Christ.  We are writing to request that you meet with lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Catholics and their family members during your visit. Some of us write as Catholics or as leaders of Catholic organizations and others on behalf of the many Catholics among our constituents.  We know that your schedule is very busy but this is a compelling pastoral need and would promote great healing and reconciliation in our Church and society. Many LGBT people and family members have experienced a resurgence of hope for full acceptance in our Church as a result of your words and reports of personal meetings with LGBT people. We see your visit to the U.S. as an opportunity for you to hear from us how central our faith is to our lives and to work together towards creating a Church where all families know that we are truly loved and welcomed. Currently our Churchs teaching and pastoral practices surrounding LGBT people are causing an enormous pastoral crisis as well as upholding systemic institutionalized discrimination against LGBT people and our families. In the U.S. and around the world we are experiencing alienation from the Church higher rates of poverty and violence and discrimination in employment housing educational opportunities and access to health care.  LGBT youth are particularly vulnerable with nearly half of the LGBT young people in the U.S. considered to be at-risk. Lacking support at home at school or from faith communities LGBT youth suffer bullying experience depression self-mutilate attempt suicide use drugs become homeless or enter foster care at rates far higher than non-LGBT youth. This is a crisis that the church can help to address through effective pastoral care and programs that provides love and support for these youth. In the U.S. we have seen strong support of LGBT issues among all Catholics including rapidly rising support among Latinos as greater numbers of Latino LGBT people come out. Latino Catholics have felt new support which is reverberating into their large circles of families and friends. According to the <a href=http://publicreligion.org/2015/04/attitudes-on-same-sex-marriage-by-religious-affiliation-and-denominational-family/#.VUPKbpOuojk>Public Religion Research Institute</a> about six in ten white (61 percent) Hispanic (60 percent) and other non-white Catholics (60 percent) support allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. At times these Catholic families feel unwelcome in our Church as they fear or experience condemnation of themselves or their loved ones. This is something that pains us all. All of these concerns are important to us as Catholics and we know they are important to you. We ask that you meet with representatives of the LGBT Catholic community and our family members to hear our stories of perseverance hope and struggle. We believe your personal attention to our concerns could help hasten greater justice in the U.S. and across the globe.  We are happy to meet at a time most convenient to you. Please contact us at Coordinator@equallyblessed.org or 617-669-7810 so that we can work out the logistics. Be assured of our prayers for your ongoing leadership and service. In hope <table border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=10> <tbody> <tr> <td> Marianne Duddy-Burke Executive Director DignityUSA <mediawrapper data=><img alt= class=media-element file-default data-fid=422 data-media-element=1 height=40 src=https://www.dignityusa.org/sites/default/files/88/mdb%20signature.jpg typeof=foaf:Image width=163 /></mediawrapper> </td> <td> Sarah Kate Ellis President and CEO GLAAD <mediawrapper data=><img alt=SKE Glaad Signature class=media-element file-default data-fid=679 data-media-element=1 height=40 src=https://www.dignityusa.org/sites/default/files/SKE%20Glaad%20Signature.png typeof=foaf:Image width=163 /></mediawrapper> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Endorsing Organizations and Individuals 8th Day Center for Justice Catholics for Choice Chicago Women-Church Corpus USA A Critical Mass: Women Celebrating Eucharist Familia es Familia Human Rights Campaign Latino Equality Alliance (LEA) Latino GLBT History Project National Council of La Raza National Hispanic Media Coalition Roman Catholic Womanpriests USA (RCWP-USA) Southeastern Pennsylvania Womens Ordination Conference Jim FitzGerald Executive Director Call to Action Charlie Davis Ecumenical Catholic Communion Justin Tanis Managing Director Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry Deb Word President Fortunate Families Dr. Elisabeth Schassler Fiorenza Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity Harvard University Sr. Jeannine Gramick Executive Coordinator National Coalition of American Nuns Francis DeBernardo Executive Director New Ways Ministry David Vasquez-Levy President Pacific School of Religion Brian Cahill Former Executive Director San Francisco Catholic Charities Mary E. Hunt and Diann L. Neu Co-Directors WATER Womens Alliance for Theology Ethics and Ritual  Kate McElwee and Erin Saiz Hanna Co-Executive Directors Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) Susanne Cassidy Philadelphia PA Mary Ellen Chown Oakville ON Canada Erma M. Durkin Glen Arm MD Darlene Noesen Chicago IL Dr. Miguel de la Torre Iliff School of Theology in Denver CO  Bishop Jack Isbell International Ecumenical Catholic Church

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