Paul II died, on July 26, 1471 of a stroke, allegedly whilst being sodomized by a page boy. After his death, one of his successors suggested that he should rather have been called Maria Pietissima, “Our Lady of Pity”, because…
Christian History
Lest We Forget: Remember the Ashes of Our Martyrs
For Ash Wednesday, I reminded readers here that the season of Lent is also a “joyful” season, an aspect that should not be ignored. We should never forget though, that it is also a solemn time, above all a time…
Let Us Remember, for Nov 1st: All (Gay) Saints
Are there gay saints? Some sources say clearly yes, listing numerous examples. Others dispute the idea, saying either that the examples quoted are not officially recognised, or denying that they were gay because we do not know that they were…
Blessed Are the Queer in Faith: Introduction and Summary
This year’s national conference of Quest, the British association for lesbian and gay Catholics, had as its theme “60 Glorious Years”, tying in with Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee year. For my presentation, I took as my title, “Blessed Are the…
Queer Saints and Martyrs: Calendar for July
Catholic tradition honours the remarkable men and women who have contributed significantly to its heritage by recognising them as saints. Secular tradition like to remember specific events or causes by setting aside specific dates for their observance. The Calendar of Queer Saints…
A Queer tale of Oscar Wilde’s friends: the Catholic Priest and his lover, a Dominican Brother
Amid all the Queen’s diamond jubilee nonsense, the queer Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence picnicked on Carlton Hill in Edinburgh yesterday, after visiting key sites in Edinburgh’s gay and lesbian history: ‘Old Queens’ alternative jubilee picnic The Sisters were formed in…
A Queer Catholic take on the Jubilee
Every Catholic Parish has been asked by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales to say prayers to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee. My personal inclinations are firmly republican and in 1977 at her silver jubilee, apart from the…
“Intrinsically disordered”, the Vatican preserves pathologising of LGBT sexuality
Updated and corrected “Intrinsically disordered” is the troubling Vatican description of Catholic and other people who are lesbian, bisexual or gay. It first appeared way back in December 1975 when strictly speaking the label was used to describe sex acts,…
Traditional marriage and families debunked
Conservatives’ concerns about marriage seem to be based on a past that is fabricated from their own anxieties and obsessions. George Monbiot in today’s Guardian debunks traditional marriage and the heterosexual nuclear family as recent myths. Christine Odone in today’s…
The Christian Case Against Marriage: “Family Idolatry”
Possibly the most egregious argument used by the religious right to oppose homoerotic relationships and LGBT equality or inclusion in Church, is that they are in contravention of Christian family values, “as found in the Bible”. This claim is entirely…
