Next week, for the first few days of October,  LGBT Catholics and allies representing groups from more than 30 countries will take gather in Rome for the foundation conference of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics, the first worldwide network of organisations and persons involved in the pastoral care of, and search for justice for, LGBT people and their families within the Catholic Church and wider society.

The dates, 1st – 4th October, coincide with the opening weekend of the 2015 Synod on the Family. Emphasising that “family” includes queer families, and families with LGBT+ members, a central part of the program will be a public international conference entitled: “WAYS OF LOVE: Snapshots of Catholic Encounters with LGBT people and their families, sponsored by the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups. At this event, voices, living witness and proposals of Catholic pastoral leaders from eight countries worldwide, will demonstrate that a pastoral approach works better than an ideological one in promoting peaceful and fruitful relationships with LGBT people in the day to day life of Catholic communities. Dialogue and frank exchanges between the delegates themselves will take place within the rest of the programme

I’ll be there, together with three members of the Quest national committee and several people from the LGBT group from Farm Street, including Martin Pendergast, who is one of the key organisers behind this gathering.  I look forward to reporting on the conference proceedings, and on the main family synod, from next week.

(Full disclosure: I act as webmaster for the GNRC)

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