Editorial: When the church opens its doors
Marsa church opens its doors to all couples, including gays
Children should always be welcomed into their parents’ house, not because of their achievements, beliefs or lifestyles. The relationship between children and parents should be grounded in love that transcends everything else.
If parents can welcome their children despite imperfections, shouldn’t it be reasonable to believe that God does the same for His children? Jesus, in the Gospels, emphasised that even flawed individuals, capable of giving good things to their children, pale in comparison to God’s capacity for love. Consequently, the Catholic Church has always taught that God welcomes us as His sons and daughters, irrespective of anything else.
It is within this perspective that one should applaud the initiative taken recently by the parish priest and community of the parish of Maria Regina, in Marsa. The Marsa church has used photos of same-sex couples to help promote its new Sunday masses for couples in a move that was even praised by the MGRM movement.
The organisation of mass for all couples, independent of their sexual orientation, is another sign that the Church is understanding the signs of the times. The Church is acknowledging the existence and validity of LGBT individuals within the congregation and sends a powerful message of acceptance and belonging.
The Marsa church’s move to reach out to the LGBT community is not merely a symbolic gesture; it has the potential to have a profound impact on the lives of LGBT individuals. For many, the church has been a source of solace and support but it has also been a place of exclusion and judgement.
The celebration of mass is in itself a celebration of love.
It is not a battleground between persons of different ideas or persons of diverse sexual orientations.
Pope Francis never tires of emphasising that the Church is the house of God where there is a place for everyone.
In a recent interview with a Spanish magazine, he insisted that dialogue with everyone is something that Jesus taught us and that if the Church does not do what Jesus taught, it is not the Church.
For this reason, he shared that he was not worried that some people are angry at him because he receives transgender people in the general audience on Wednesdays: “The first time they came and saw me, they left crying, saying that I shook their hand, gave a kiss… As if I had done something exceptional with them! They are daughters of God!”
In late October, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the pope’s approval, confirmed that individuals in same-gender relationships and transgender people should not be categorically or automatically excluded from receiving baptism, baptising their children or serving as godparents in a baptism or witness to a marriage.
A few weeks prior to this, the Vatican released another groundbreaking statement asserting that pastoral prudence and discernment can be applied to find ways to bless same-sex unions without violating the Church’s teachings on sacramental marriage.
Some in the Christian community may view these developments and other initiatives, as the one taken by the Maria Regina parish, a step too far. It will have to be down to other parishes to take the cue and explain to their community why inclusivity is for the common good.
It is only when all Catholics accept each other as, first and foremost, children of God before any difference of attitude or opinion that they have, that the church will be the home of everyone.