Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi met with theLGBTIQ+ community to discuss ways on how to make the LGBTIQ+ community feel more at home with the Church.
During a meeting held on Tuesday, together with a good number of the LGBTIQ+ organisations in Malta, namely Allied Rainbow Community (ARC), Drachma LGBTI, Drachma Parents Group, LGBTI+ Gozo, and the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Malta (MGRM) the representatives of these organisations were able to share aspects of their life as well as their work.
In a press release issued on Thursday the organisations said that they talked about the challenges encountered and about the positive changes they have seen in these last few years.
One of the things that came up during the meeting was Pride, they said.
The explained how for an indefinite period of time the LGBTIQ+ community was made to feel worthless and shameful of their identity and themselves.
“They were and still are persecuted in a significant number of countries. They just wanted to embrace their sexuality, they wanted to move away from the shame and move towards self-acceptance and to be proud of who they are, and that is how Pride came about,” said the representatives.
They also talked about the invaluable work they conduct with Malta’s LGBTIQ+ community, the support that is given, the awareness that is raised and the rights that they have worked for.
In their discussion, the Bishops showed great sensitivity to the needs of the LGBTIQ+ community and pledged to continue supporting a welcoming space for all.
One area of interest that came up during the meeting was the importance given to the continued development of the human sciences and what they are showing us.
The organisations said that such data is necessary for the Church to deepen its reflection and pastoral attitudes in the light of evidence-based research on the LGBTIQ+ reality & their families.
And in fact, the representatives from LGBT+ Gozo and MGRM passed on two surveys which they had conducted independently, with both Bishops gladly appreciating the current information.
Archbishop Scicluna stressed that “we need to move away from the language of ideology and to stop speaking without thinking first.”
His main message was that we should always keep in mind that we are talking about other human beings, and that we should therefore treat each and every person with respect and dignity, as this is the only way to show the love of Christ.
The two-hour meeting held at the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana had a profound sense of synodality that was clearly felt and expressed by all those present. One activist was so moved with the meeting and described it as a truly comforting and healing experience.