Preparations are well underway for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families — and local LGBT-friendly faith groups are also gearing up for the momentous trip.
Michael Rocks, interim president of Dignity Philadelphia, said that visitors from Dignity USA will be visiting Philadelphia the weekend of the pope’s visit, Sept. 26-27.
“The National Dignity Office is planning on having a presence in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families,” Rocks said. “Dignity Philadelphia will be speaking on behalf of Dignity at the local Philadelphia level and the National Office will address the national and international issues.”
Dignity will have its regularly scheduled Mass at 7 p.m. Sept. 27.
Another organization looking forward to the papal visit is Keystone Catholics, an online advocacy organization dedicated to promoting social justice.
Stephen Seufert, state director of Keystone Catholics, said LGBT Catholics seem to be sharing in the excitement over the visit of the pope, who has expressed more progressive stances on LGBT issues than previous popes.
“Over the last several months, I’ve met with numerous LGBT Catholics who, despite being repeatedly marginalized and discriminated against, still believe in Pope Francis and the Catholic Church,” he said. “Such a commitment is a testament to the strength faith provides so many who are suffering.”
Seufert said the papal visit provides a good opportunity to “engage in meaningful dialogue about what kind of pastoral care LGBT people will receive from the Catholic Church,” which he said would be in line with this pope’s trend toward more open dialogue.
“While Church teachings on LGBT issues haven’t changed during his papacy, I believe Pope Francis wants lay Catholics and bishops alike to listen, learn and grow from each other,” Seufert said. “To not, as Pope Francis stated in Evangelii Gaudium, be ‘shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe.’”
For a full schedule of events during Pope Francis’ stay in Philadelphia, visit http://www.worldmeeting2015.org.
For more information about Dignity/Philadelphia and Keystone Catholics, visit www.dignityphila.org or www.keystonecatholics.org.