I am responding to the Jim Bussen’s View on Cardinal Francis George in your Feb. 18 issue. I believe what Cardinal George did in his visit to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church was to proclaim the consistent Teaching of the Catholic Church. Bussen is in error, to equate a document of the U.S. National Council of Catholics Bishops on the same level as a Teaching position of the Church’s Teaching Magisterium aka Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith. Clearly the Cardinal represented the position of the Pope, and his Magisterium. Bussen’s comments surprised me because of his involvement with Dignity over the years. This is most probably one of the reasons the Cardinal said what he said at the Liturgy, there was confusion about what the Church Teaches. He spoke as a Prince of the Church; he called a spade a spade. As gay and lesbian Catholics we have to understand what the Church Teaches, in order to bring about change.

Did the Cardinal tell the truth? Yes, the Cardinal adequately represented Catholic Church’s Teaching Magisterum at this point in history. Is that position homophobic, of course it is, we must recognize this or we are deluding ourselves? So on an ethical level the Cardinal was being truthful and consistent. On a Pastoral level he failed miserably.

I believe the AGLO representatives clearly understood what the Teaching Position of the Church is, and I am sure they have struggled with this. Was it painful to hear this message, I am sure it was if you had been misled about the Church’s position. My question to Cardinal George is why are your priests not promoting the Church’s Teaching at AGLO from the pulpit? From the response of some of those who attended this liturgy it was the first time they have heard of it coming from the pulpit.

Dignity or AGLO should not be pointing fingers at each other, we don’t have time for that, let’s roll up our sleeves and begin building the house of God in the gay and lesbian community. We need to respond to the Cardinal as gay and lesbian Catholics. Both Dignity and AGLO are important parts of our Catholic gay and lesbian community of Chicago, each is important in the life of that community. The Catholic Church is inflicting a lot of harm on the gay and lesbian community as gay and lesbian Catholics we must work together to stop that.

Joe Murray, Rainbow Sash Movement