VATICAN CITY
AFP
August 23, 2018
By Catherine Marciano
US Jesuit priest James Martin speaks at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin on August 23, 2018
Gay people in the Catholic Church are sometimes “treated like dirt”, according to a priest invited by the Vatican to address a conference on families in Dublin on Thursday ahead of a visit by Pope Francis.
US Jesuit priest James Martin preaches openness towards gay Roman Catholics — in the face of some traditionalists who have tried to shut him down.
He spoke at the 2018 World Meeting of Families (WMOF) in Dublin, a global Catholic gathering that takes place every three years, which opened on Tuesday.
“The inclusion of a talk called ‘Showing Respect and Welcome in Our Parishes to LGBT Catholics and their Families’ is a huge step forward,” Martin told AFP.
“It is a sign to all Catholics that the Vatican considers LGBT Catholics part of the Church,” said the author of a bestselling book which reaches out to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians.
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