Catholic bishops push LGBT-focused events despite traditional teachings

In Rhode Island, the Diocese of Providence has scheduled a series of LGBT-focused liturgies and social events for August and September, to be led by Bishop Bruce Lewandowski at two parishes. Promotional material calls for Catholics and LGBTQ+ individuals to gather for Mass, meals and small-group sharing of personal stories, yet it does not reference traditional Church instruction on human sexuality. The article contends that this approach mirrors a broader trend among bishops, dating back to Pope Francis’s tenure, to seek “representation” and dialogue with the LGBT community, even as some suggest revising doctrine.

It warns that such pandering risks eroding the Church’s historic identity, which has endured through centuries of persecution and martyrdom. The piece cites historical figures like St. Edmund Campion and St. Andrew Kim Taegon to illustrate past commitments to doctrinal fidelity. Ultimately, the author argues that the Catholic Church is not a social club and should not reshape its teachings to chase relevance.