Introduction
The Call of the 25th General Chapter calls us to be close to people on the margins and to work together to end all forms of discrimination, inequality, and violence. When we reflect on this sacred mission, we are invited to consider the various groups that may be involved: people with disabilities, with a migrant background, with a different skin color, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation that does not correspond to that of the majority population.
We School Sisters have a lot of experience with some of these marginalized groups, less so with others. The latter group also includes queer people, who are very often marginalized by society and even openly persecuted in some countries. This reflection aims to encourage people to engage with the situation of queer people and to recognize them as a marginalized group that belongs to God’s good creation and needs our solidarity.
Call to Prayer
Let us pray that our hearts will become wide enough to recognize God’s presence in all people.
Experience
One afternoon I found a letter that Andrea (pseudonym), a student at our specialist academy, had put on my office door. I opened it and found a therapist’s release from confidentiality in it, as well as a short note from the student, “Please call my therapist to tell you something.” I did this and learned that she had been in the process of clarifying her sexual identity for a long time, has now clearly recognized that she feels like a boy through and through, and now wants to live openly as such.
The next day we spoke to each other, and she/he said: “I have a new Passport from September. My name is now Andreas (pseudonym). I struggled for a long time about who I am and now the time is ripe for me to openly live what I am. Can you help me with that? And can you also communicate this to the staff? I’m writing to the class today and then we can talk about it tomorrow if my classmates have questions.” Thanks to Andreas’ openness, the conversation in the class took place with great respect and goodwill. He is now naturally recognized as a boy in the class.
Reflection
When I told the sisters in my community about this experience, the reaction came from some people: Do you have to make it so public?
I would like to share here some reflections on how I read and understand the message in the book of Genesis about the human being as an “image of God”, whom God created as man and woman:
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If God created day and night, then everything in between is the dawn and dusk and is included in creation.
If God is called Alpha and Omega, which stands for the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, then all the other letters in between also belong to God.
If God created man and woman, then everything that exists between male and female is also God’s divine work. - All of God’s creation is characterized by diversity and uniqueness. When the Bible speaks of men and women, these are the cornerstones of human existence and all people –including queer ones – are part of God’s good, colorful creation. All people, regardless of their gender identity, have inviolable dignity.
- Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Discrimination or exclusion is diametrically opposed to this mandate. Treating queer people fairly is therefore charity.
- In the New Testament, God’s love and salvation are granted to all people – without preconditions. Queer individuals must not be excluded but have the same access to God’s love, grace, and salvation as anyone else.
- In his work, Jesus particularly sides with the excluded. Christians are therefore called upon to stand up for the rights and protection of all people, especially those who often experience rejection, discrimination, and violence.
A fair and benevolent treatment of queer people is not only ethically necessary but also results directly from the statements of our Christian faith about creation, human dignity, charity, and the universality of God’s salvation. Being a Christian excludes discrimination against people who are somehow “different.”
Pope Leo, like Pope Francis before him, emphasizes that LGBTQ Catholics are welcome, “todos, todos, todos” everyone is invited in because they are children of God.
Action
Personal: Actively engage with the reflections. Pope Leo urges us to get to know one another and respect one another. Make time to learn about (and where possible) engage with queer people and others who are marginalized and discriminated against. Share your learnings. Consciously use inclusive language – in everyday life and in prayer. Show solidarity for example, through a rainbow scarf, a sticker, or another visible sign of acceptance and prejudice-conscious attitude.
Public: Check materials and offers in your field of activity for diversity and inclusion. Signal your openness, for example, with a notice: There is no room for discrimination here. Plan a thematic evening on queer realities of life in faith.
Closing Prayer
Good and gracious God, You created every person wonderfully – in their uniqueness, in their diversity, in their dignity. Help us to see each other through Your eyes: open, mindful and respectful. Teach us to get rid of prejudices and create spaces in which all people know how to accept themselves – especially those who have often been excluded. As true witnesses of Christ’s love, let us accept and celebrate life in all its diversity. Amen.
Prepared by M. Gisela Hörmann, SSND BY (sr.gisela@schulschwestern.de) for the International Shalom Network.
Graphic taken from 25th General Chapter design by Joyelle Proot, SSND CP
