Looking back at the most-read articles published by Outreach in 2024 reveals that our community remains interested in what church leaders are saying and doing about issues important to LGBTQ Catholics and their families and that personal essays and reflections continue to edify and inspire.
While The Outreach Guide to the Bible and Homosexuality remains our most popular resource—with Scripture scholar Walter Brueggemann’s essay, “How to Read the Bible on Homosexuality” holding steady as our most-read piece ever—our most-read articles, essays and reflections published in 2024 cover a range of topics, including the Vatican’s declaration on human dignity, the role faith plays in the lives of LGBTQ Catholics and explorations of the Synod on Synodality.
Below, a look at the most-read articles published by Outreach in 2024.
Synod remains a hot-topic
Outreach hosted an international dialogue featuring LGBTQ Catholics for delegates to the Synod on Synodality at the Jesuit Curia in Rome in October, and the Synod remained an especially captivating topic for our readers.
Our most-read Synod-related article was, “What the church can learn from LGBTQ Catholics,” written by Synod delegate Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.
Outreach founder James Martin, S.J., also a delegate to the Synod, chronicled his year of engaging with delegates opposed to LGBTQ rights and offered his reflections in, “I listened to Synod delegates opposed to LGBTQ issues. Here are my responses.” Another Jesuit priest, the theologian Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, S.J., explored lessons from the first part of the Synod on Synodality in his essay, “How to address questions of ‘identity and sexuality’ raised by the Synod.”
Elevating the voices of LGBTQ Catholics, their families and those who minister to them
Personal reflections from LGBTQ Catholics, and their families and friends, plus those who minister to them, were popular with Outreach readers this year.
Several LGBTQ Catholics, and Catholics with family who are part of that community, wrote personal essays exploring how their faith inspired, challenged and consoled them:
- “How a Catholic woman’s faith provided comfort after the loss of her wife,” by Mary Ann Meadows-Hunsbarger
- “How the son of two gay mothers found grace in a Catholic parish,” by Julian Navarro, who works at America in advancement
- “Some family members opposed my same-sex wedding. Here’s what I learned talking with them,” by Seandor Szeles
- “My mother’s wisdom taught me to understand gay love,” by Kathleen Norris
Two essays by priests offered personal insights into their ministries.
- Father Martin’s essay, “How same-sex couples have blessed me,” published shortly after the Vatican decreed in Dec. 2023 that priests could bless same-sex couples
- Rev. Aidan McAleenan, a priest in California, wrote about the positive reaction he received from parishioners after he came out as gay
Finally, Charles Jason Gordon, the Archbishop of Trinidad and Tobago, wrote an essay about LGBTQ Catholics and the call to holiness.
Catholics react to “gender theory” document, transgender people and the church
In April, the Vatican released the declaration “Dignitas Infinita,” a 12,000-word treatise that covers a range of issues related to human dignity. Part of the document dealt with LGBTQ issues, including a reminder that church teaching condemns “unjust discrimination” based on sexual orientation and stating opposition to laws that criminalize homosexuality.
But the document also took aim at what Pope Francis has dubbed “gender theory,” equating “sex-change intervention” as a threat to humanity, on par with poverty, violence against women and abortion.
Several articles about the document, published in a series by Outreach, were among our most-read this year, including my essay, “Vatican condemnation of “gender theory” a moment of whiplash for LGBTQ Catholics.” Others included:
- “‘Dignitas Infinita’ falters when it doesn’t practice what it preaches,” by James F. Keenan, S.J.
- “Vatican is right on gender theory, but the church must walk with transgender people,” by Austen Ivereigh
- “In ‘Dignitas Infinita,’ the Vatican quarrels with a theory of its own making,” by Daniel P. Horan
- “‘Dignitas Infinita’ asks the church to consider the experiences of transgender people,” by Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.
Two other pieces related to transgender issues were also popular with our readers:
- A deep-dive into a pioneer of ministry to transgender Catholics, Sister Luisa Derouen, by veteran religion journalist David Van Biema, “No Body Now But Yours”
- An essay exploring what exactly Pope Francis means when he says “gender ideology,” by David Palmieri
LGBTQ Catholic news events attracted readers’ attention
Several pieces related to current events, both in the church and world, affecting LGBTQ Catholics were popular with readers:
- “Advice for LGBTQ people who feel afraid after the election,” by Father Martin
- “Mass for LGBTQ Catholics met with protesters in St. Louis” and “Pope Francis reportedly used a homophobic slur. What now for LGBTQ Catholics?,” both by me.
Also popular was an essay from the theologian John F. Baldovin, S.J., who explored the practice of adoration in the Outreach series on the Eucharistic Revival.
Resources from Outreach 2024 and Scripture reflections
Resources from Outreach 2024, our gathering at Georgetown University in August, attracted many readers. The text of a talk delivered at the conference by Mark Bosco, S.J., exploring themes in Flannery O’Connor’s writing that are especially pertinent to LGBTQ Catholics, was popular, as was an article by Father Martin about a painting of Jesus by the Rev. William Hart McNichols, which was unveiled at Outreach 2024.
Finally, two of Father Martin’s Sunday Gospel reflections also ranked among the most-read articles this year, including one about how Jesus can help Catholics when they struggle with the church and another about how Jesus appreciates whatever we have to give.
Looking ahead
In 2025, Outreach will continue featuring the voices of LGBTQ Catholics, plus their friends and families, in articles and essays exploring the full range of what it means to be Catholic today. We have in the works pieces from influential church leaders and we will continue to cover news important to the LGBTQ Catholic community.
The post Synod stories, essays from LGBTQ Catholics, among most-read for 2024 appeared first on Outreach.