Nationwide Alert Issued For Catholics To Speak Out Against Vatican Decision Banning Gays

NATIONWIDE ALERT ISSUED FOR CATHOLICS TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST VATICAN DECISION BANNING GAYS

‘We are calling on all Catholics of goodwill to speak to their priests and express their deep concern at this decision,’ said Harry Knox, director of the Human Rights Campaign’s Religion and Faith Program.

WASHINGTON — After last week’s reporting of a decree from the Vatican banning gays from the priesthood, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organization is calling on fair-minded Catholics to speak out in their local parishes. The Human Rights Campaign is sending out a call to action to hundreds of thousands of its members nationwide asking them to speak to their local priests about the Vatican’s discriminatory policy.

“We are calling on all Catholics of goodwill to speak to their priests and express their deep concern at this decision,’ said Harry Knox, director of HRC’s Religion and Faith Program. “We’re speaking directly to Catholics in the pews and urging them to consider what Jesus would do if he saw his neighbor treated this way.”

The official Vatican document is expected to be released tomorrow, although its content has been speculated about for weeks. Last week, an Italian newspaper printed a copy of the document, confirmed by church sources, on its website.

“Tomorrow this document is set to be released and we will make sure that fair-minded Catholics across this country have an avenue to let their opposition be known,” said Knox. “We are putting the Vatican on alert that a compassionate, caring army of hundreds of thousands of people in this country have been called to action.”

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

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