Calling Out and In the Catholic Church on Barring LGBTQ+ Expression
When it comes to matters of equity and justice, I prefer to call people in rather than call them out. But sometimes you need to call out in order to call in, and that is what needs to happen in response to the Cleveland Catholic Diocese’s official policy barring LGBTQ+ expression. As a former nun in this diocese and a psychologist who practiced in one of their consultation centers, my calling out is grounded in lived experience. As a psychologist and DEIB professional, my calling out is rooted in a data-informed base of knowledge on gender and gender expression and the dynamics of human differences. As a human being who professes Gospel values, my calling out is necessary.
Although there are numerous ways in which this policy is wrong, I will focus on just one of them — its hypocrisy. For decades, Catholic leadership has worked to silence voices who publicly unveiled the significant numbers of LGBTQ+ bishops, priests, and nuns, some of whom are sexually active. For decades they have shamed LGBTQ+ priests and nuns by framing sexual orientation, gender and gender expression in Victorian thinking and morality. For decades, they have caused great psychological discomfort to those clergy and nuns who are LGBTQ+ resulting in dysfunctional behaviors that ooze out in their ministry, and in some cases, illicit and illegal behaviors that have been covered up. This policy continues down that path and it is simply psychologically abusive not only to those in their ministry but to all LGBTQ+ individuals by its message.
Let me be clear. There is absolutely nothing disordered, sinful or shameful about LGBTQ+ individuals who are wonderfully created human beings, no different from any human being that walks this earth. However, there is something disordered, sinful, and shameful about hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is a result of pride rather than humility. Hypocrisy is based in fear rather than love. Hypocrisy shames and ridicules because it is rooted in low self-esteem rather than a healthy self-confidence rooted in respect and acknowlegment of others as fellow human beings.
So, today and every day until my dying day, I will encourage the Catholic Church, especailly those in leadership and those who are faithful followers, to call out this hypocrisy. I also encourage you to call them in and invite them to alleviate hypocrisy by transparency, to foster love rather than misplaced and wrongful judgment, to have the courage to admit that they are attempting to “clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
There is plenty of evidence that Jesus despised hypocrisy and a lot more evidence that God loves LGBTQ+ individuals. Choose to act in love.