Gay Catholic Group Responds to Pope's Homophobic Comments (AUDIO)

Recently Pope Benedict delivered a homophobic and hateful new year's speech to diplomats from approximately 180 countries, declaring that gay marriage "threatens human dignity and the future of humanity itself." I found this so appalling that I immediately contacted Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, the nation's leading LGBT Catholic organization, to get her spin on this attack against our families. I talked to Marianne about this and more issues facing our LGBT community.

When asked her reaction to Pope Benedict's hurtful and homophobic attack on our LGBT community, Duddy-Burke stated:

Unfortunately it's become almost a new year's ritual for the pope to attack same-gender marriage and marriage equality. We've seen it year after year in his speeches when he's looking at the state of the world. It's tragic, it's sad, and it's very misinformed. Once again it just shows the deep divide that exists between the leaders of the Catholic Church and regular Catholics who are out there in their lives and their jobs and their neighbors and their families, who know and love gay and lesbian people and bisexual and transgender people, and who, more and more, support our rights to have loving, committed relationships legally affirmed.

LISTEN:

Marrianne has also served as DignityUSA President, Vice-President, New England Regional Director, and President of the Boston Chapter. Marianne received a Masters in Theology from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. and was an Honors graduate of Wellesley College. Marianne speaks regularly at conferences around the country on issues of importance to LGBT Catholics and their families. Marianne lives in Boston, Mass. with her spouse Becky Duddy-Burke and their two adopted daughters, Emily and Infinity.

Listen to more LGBT leaders, allies, and celebrity interviews at OUTTAKE VOICES™.

Download interviews on iTunes.

 

Follow Charlotte Robinson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OUTTAKEVOICES

Comments

[Lando Diaz]

09:43 AM on 02/01/2012

I'm a Catholic and always will be. While I don't agree that gays should just come into the catholic church and get married like a heterosexual couple, I do believe the catholic church's never turned away a gay person, in fact, I known throughout the years some gays way better Christians than straights. The stand by the church is that Jesus Christ is for those who need them the most. Being gay does not mean being a bad person. Those who come to God, straight, gay, whatever with an open and humble heart will find the peace and the love that ONLY Jesus can offer to mankind. Blessings to all.

[chicagoguy5000]

01:12 AM on 01/28/2012

I find the Catholic church a valid religion. But on the gay thing they are wrong. They have misinterpreted the bible.

[Kit Carson 1954]

06:03 PM on 01/19/2012

I have studied religions and find it very interesting that Christianity is based on God breaking one of his 10 Commandments that he gave Moses. We all know that Mary and Joseph were married .... correct, then why would God come down and beget Mary with child(Jesus) when she was a married woman. When you look at how we have been told this story you now realize that God did break one of his 10 Commandment which now tells you that Christian Churches condone adultry. Now thats food for thought for strong believers. One of the biggest problem out there is there is so many translations of the bible. There is a group now who are going back to the original transcript and will transcribe the old texts word for wor including the 56 books that were removed when the early Christian.Church was formed. Should make for an very interesting read once they get it done. I grew up with the High Anglican Church and wish they would be in support of the LGBT more than they are now. I live in Canada and have been a Human Rights and Patient Rights Advocate for over 22 years now. I don't tollerate discrimmination of any kind. Some have even given me the knick name "Rattlesnake"....lol.

[quisesdeus]

05:06 AM on 01/20/2012

It is a blasphemy to accuse God of adultry.

[29008000]

11:47 PM on 01/28/2012

Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

[Asmondius]

07:10 PM on 01/20/2012

You are incorrect - Mary was betrothed, not married, when Jesus formed in her womb.

[Kit Carson 1954]

12:00 PM on 01/23/2012

One has to remember just who created the bible in the first place. It was man and ever since man has been using it to control other men and bend them to their way of thinking.History is full of what religion has done to man from wars, the inquisition and the freedom to persicute anyone they so choose all in the name of religion. Maybe one thing one should remember is what the word betrothed mean. It means that you have chosen one above all else and will remain faithfull to that person till the day you get married. There fore it was a breach of adultery ans should be realized just for what it is.

[Kit Carson 1954]

10:24 AM on 01/19/2012

I have studied Religions and find it is very interesting that Christianity is based on God breaking one of his 10 Commandments that he gave to Moses.... We all know that Joseph and Mary were married .... correct, then why would God come down and beget Mary with child (Jesus) when she was a married woman. When you look at how we have been told this story you realize that God did break one of his 10 Commandments which now tells that all Christian Churches condone adultery. Now thats food for thought for anyone who is a believer. Yes you will here people tell you that they were just engaged but remember there are so many translations of the bible out there. There is a group now going back to all the original texts and translating the texts word for word including the 56 books taken out of the bible when the Catholic Church was formed. Will make some interesting reading once they get it done. I grew up in the High Anglican Church and I wish they would be more excepting of the LGBT community than they are now. I live in Canada and have been a Human Rights Advocate with different Union's for 22 years now. I find that any Church that discrimminates to anyone should be held accountable.

[Say whats]

07:52 AM on 01/18/2012

Homophobia: irrational fear of homosexuals. Opposition to gay marriage: socio-political opinion. There's a difference! The GLBT movement is less tolerant than the Inquisition in that respect. Also, I agree with some of the commentators who question why there is such a thing as a Catholic GLBT lobby. If you strongly oppose important tenets of a religion, does it make any sense to identify yourself with that religion? I just don't get it. There's no obligation to remain Catholic if you don't like the Catholic Church.

[sikidk]

01:46 PM on 01/18/2012

I'm pretty sure the actual 'important tenets' of Catholicism include believing in the Holy Trinity, specifically in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Savior, and in following Jesus' teachings. People can believe those things and follow Jesus and disagree with Church leaders' formal positions on socio-political matters. Being gay and disagreeing with the Catholic Church's stance on homosexuality shouldn't mean you have to leave all your -spiritual- beliefs behind!

[Asmondius]

07:11 PM on 01/20/2012

If you don not follow the tenets of the religion, you are not a true practitioner.

That holds true anywhwere.

[Say whats]

09:09 AM on 01/22/2012

You don't have to leave all your spiritual beliefs behind. If you hadn't heard, there was a guy named Martin Luther. Not too long ago, he told Christians they didn't have to accept every little thing the Church taught....

[practiceempathy]

10:04 AM on 01/19/2012

You're unreasonable to expect gay people to tolerate their own degradation and other forms of disrespect towards them.

Tolerance need not yield to willful ignorance.

[Asmondius]

07:12 PM on 01/20/2012

They are free to leave the Church if they disagree with the belief system.

The Church is not civil society or a democracy.

[Bob Kellerman]

05:29 AM on 01/18/2012

If you want some DIGNITY, leave that horrid church until it accepts you.

Otherwise, you are sucking up to a pope who demeans what God put in your heart

Or stay, if waving that smokey thing and eating the cookie is more important than your soul

[Wildhope]

09:07 PM on 01/17/2012

Why would you want to be a part of something that clearly doesn't want you? Is DignityUSA actually respected by the hierarchy of the church? No. The church claims you cannot be a gay Catholic unless you are celibate from the rest of your life. There are other denominations of Christianity, I don't understand the need for a group like this, as a gay person. The Catholic church is not going to change its position, to expect it to is just ridiculous. If they had any political power gays would probably be hanged or stoned to death and it would probably be legal.

[Asmondius]

07:14 PM on 01/20/2012

You contradict yourself - first you say the Church accepts homosexual Catholics under certain conditions but then claim they will hang or stone them.

[gaydood]

07:47 PM on 01/17/2012

humm, here in the USA, we either need SS suviorship, or the st8s should not get it, ok? ok !!!!

[Asmondius]

07:15 PM on 01/20/2012

Get off the government trough and live your life.

Single heterosexuals do not get 'rights of survivorship' either.

[Joseph Mustich]

05:59 PM on 01/17/2012

These folks brought the world, the Crusades, the Inquisition, new torture techniques, genocides, the Holocaust, priestly child abuses....need I go on.....?

Cheers, Joe Mustich, CT USA
Justice of the Peace

It's too bad the Roman lions missed these folks....just go away!

[Asmondius]

07:16 PM on 01/20/2012

They brought the Sceintific Method, the University system, and the concept of public education and health care.