April 26, 2025

May his soul find peace and eternal light in heaven ♰ 

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Here is an article written by Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, the author of “Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity.”

(An Excerpt)

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This past October, Francis met with a group of transgender and intersex Catholics. The nearly 90-minute meeting, organized by New Ways Ministries, included a doctor who provides gender-affirming care.  

“It is only by listening to stories of these individuals, as well as the individuals who care for and about them, that the Church will be able to fully hear the voice of the Holy Spirit calling the Catholic community to break out of old, ill-informed teachings and practices,” said the organizer of the meeting Sister Jeannine Gramick.  

Francis’ plea for mercy for the vulnerable, whether LGBTQ people or migrants, is both remarkable — and basic Christianity. In many ways it’s a sad reflection of what we expect of Christian leaders to find Pope Francis so revolutionary. 

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The pope envisioned the Church not as a fortress of judgment but a field hospital — an institution where wounds are acknowledged, and healing is offered with a generous dose of compassion. 

Pope Francis’s legacy is a call — to look beyond our fears, to challenge our prejudices, and ultimately, to choose mercy over judgment. And for those of us who have long felt the pain of exclusion, that call offers a glimmer of hope that one day, we might finally be home.

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