Francis-appointed Cardinal personally welcomes ‘LGBT Pilgrimage’ to cathedral
On Sunday, May 21, Cardinal Joseph Tobin personally
welcomed homosexuals to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in
Newark as part of a so-called “LGBT Pilgrimage.”
It’s
unclear how many were expected to attend, but photographs of the event
suggest a modest turnout for a New York City area event.
On his Facebook page, Fr. James Martin, SJ—lauded
by Catholic dissident, Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways
Ministry, for showing “how the Rosary and the rainbow flag can
peacefully meet each other,”—delivered a congratulatory message to the
Cardinal, saying, “Bravo!”
Interestingly, Cardinal Tobin
is one of the top Vatican and United States church officials who has
praised Fr. Martin for his soon to be published gay-friendly book,
Building A Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can
Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity.
Martin continued, “I salute His Eminence for his welcome of a group that often feels excluded from their own church.”
Martin
is one of a small but growing group of influential clerics who seek to
overturn magisterial teaching and to defy natural law by embracing
homosexual relationships as fully comparable to that which exists
between husband and wife.
The
event was organized by the Newark Archdiocese in conjunction with the
Interfatih Collaborative, a group which “encourages dialogue to promote
effective models of LGBT ministry.” According to the group’s webpage,
Cardinal Tobin was joined by other regional clerics. "Fr. Francis
Gargani, C.Ss.R., assisted by a deacon of the Archdiocese, presided in
the presence of Bishop Cruz, rector of the cathedral. Several priests
from various orders and dioceses concelebrated as well. Before bestowing
his final blessing, Bishop Cruz spoke of his favorite view of the
basilica is when the doors are open wide to welcome all to the love of
God."