Press Release by the Undersigned Members of Catholic Organizations for Renewal

November 12, 2006

by

DignityUSA

<p><span class=Apple-style-span style=font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; ><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >An expected set of &ldquo;pastoral guidelines&rdquo; scheduled for review by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at its annual Fall meeting in Baltimore begins with an erroneous understanding of what it means to be homosexual Catholic reform leaders say in a letter to U.S. Catholic bishops.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >The bishops&rsquo; premise that homosexuality is a&nbsp;<em>choice</em>&nbsp;rather than a deeply ingrained emotional and psychological attraction for members of the same sex that is a part of one&rsquo;s basic humanity has caused much harm Catholic church reform leaders agree.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&ldquo;The bishops latest guidelines entitled &lsquo;Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination:&nbsp; Guidelines for Pastoral Care&rsquo; begins with the premise that homosexuality is an inclination towards same-gender genital activity and it denies the well-known existence of homosexual orientation as a normal variation of human sexuality&rdquo; members of Catholic Organizations for Renewal a forum of 23 North American church reform groups said in a letter to the USCCB committees that drafted the proposed pastoral guidelines.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Because of the committee&rsquo;s mistaken premise and their failure to consult widely with affected and knowledgeable lay members of the church the group says the guidelines are &ldquo;deeply flawed.&rdquo;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Further the proposed guidelines are not at all pastoral but rather harmful because they repeat the same &ldquo;spiritually violent language&rdquo; used over the past 20 years describing homosexuality as &ldquo;objectively disordered&rdquo; and labeling same-gender relationships &ldquo;inherently evil.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&ldquo;We bear witness to the physical and spiritual harm done to the Catholic community&mdash;ourselves our brothers and sisters our sons and daughters&ndash;specifically because of this language.&rdquo;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Noting that under church law (Canon Law 212 3) Catholics are encouraged to make their concerns known to the bishops especially in areas where they have special expertise the groups urge the bishops to withdraw the proposed guidelines and begin anew with consultations with members of the church at large including those most affected by the document&mdash;homosexual Catholics.&nbsp;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Catholic Organizations for Renewal is a forum of 23 church reform and renewal organizations in the United States and Canada which meets twice annually. The letter to the bishops was drafted and approved by the following signatories at the group&rsquo;s Nov. 1 -2 2006 meeting in Milwaukee prior to Call to Action USA&rsquo;s annual meeting which drew more than 3200 participants.&nbsp;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Call to Action USA Chicago IL</strong>&nbsp;- Nicole Sotelo 857 928-4112 cell</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Call to Action Northern Virginia Arlington VA</strong>&nbsp;- Sharon Danner 703-680-0860</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Catholics For a Free Choice Washington DC</strong>&nbsp;- Frances Kissling President 202 986 -6093</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Catholics Speak Out/Quixote Center Brentwood MD</strong>&nbsp;- Rea Howarth CoDirector 301-699-0042&nbsp;<a href=mailto:cso@quixote.org style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; >cso@quixote.org</a></p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>CORPUS USA</strong>&nbsp;- Anthony Padovano 973-539-8732</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>DignityUSA Washington DC</strong>&nbsp;- Sam Sinnett President 314 477-5798 (cell)&nbsp;<a href=mailto:President@DignityUSA.org style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; >President@DignityUSA.org</a></p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Eighth Day Center for Justice Chicago IL</strong> Kathleen DeSautels 312/641-5151</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Ecumenical Catholic Communion California</strong>&nbsp;- Charlie Davis</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>FOSIL Southern Illinois</strong>&nbsp;&ndash; Fred &amp; Tari Harms 618-985-2377</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Save our Sacraments Scituate MA</strong>&nbsp;- Jan Leary 508-655-1863</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Southeastern Pennsylvania Women's Ordination Conference Philadelphia PA</strong>&nbsp;- Regina Bannan President 215-350-9877 (cell)</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Spiritus Christi Church Rochester NY&nbsp;</strong>- Mary Ramerman Pastor 585-325-1180</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Voice Of The Faithful New Jersey</strong>&nbsp;- Theresa Padovano 973-539-8732</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Women&rsquo;s Ordination Conference Fairfax VA</strong>&nbsp;- Aisha S. Taylor Executive Director 703 352-1006&nbsp;<a href=mailto:ataylor@womensordination.org style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; >ataylor@womensordination.org</a></p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>Women&ndash;Church Convergence</strong> Susan Farrell 718-368-4511</p></span></p>