The archbishop of Westminster and LGBT Catholics

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/archbishop-westminster-lgbt-catholics

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Your report that Archbishop Vincent Nichols is soon to become a cardinal gave the impression that his support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Catholics came to an end with the last of the Soho Masses a year ago (Archbishop of Westminster named in pope's first batch of new cardinals, 13 January). This is not the case. The LGBT Catholic community meets twice monthly, less than a mile from Soho in the Jesuit Church in Farm Street, Mayfair. We are integrating successfully into parish life there. As a sign of his support for our mission of providing pastoral care, the archbishop attended our council meeting before Christmas. By doing so, he follows his predecessors, Cardinal Basil Hume and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, leaders whose approach to the place of the LGBT community in the life of the church was consistently more nuanced and conciliatory than the often fierce language of "disorder" that emanated from Rome.<br /><strong>Mark Dowd</strong><br /><em>Chair, </em><em>LGBT Catholics Westminster</em>

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