In the latest episode of the podcast The Spiritual Life, produced by America Magazine, the controversial Jesuit James Martin interviews the priest and theologian Bryan Massingale, whom he explicitly presents as a “Black and openly gay priest”, proposing him as a reference for the current Church.
From the beginning, Martin insists on clarifying that it is a “gay and celibate” priest, and emphasizes how unusual it is for a presbyter to make his «orientation» public. The conversation revolves around identity, visibility, and pastoral accompaniment, with a marked emphasis on personal authenticity as the axis of ministry.
Massingale explains that he decided to make his homosexual condition public in 2019, during a meeting of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics —an ideological organization that openly promotes ideas contrary to Catholic doctrine on sexuality—. He recounts that, after hearing testimonies from people persecuted for their sexual orientation, he concluded that he could not ask others to take risks if he himself was not willing to do so.
He began his speech with an explicit statement: “I come before you as a Black and gay priest”. He later authorized the publication of the speech, which was translated into several languages. According to him, his decision was not a personalistic gesture, but a way of “letting the love of God come to light”.
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