The initiative, started a year ago by Don Gianluca Carrega, official delegate of Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia for the “pastoral care of homosexuals” was stopped after accusations of heresy from conservative clerics.
Even if a year late, in the end,the much disputed spiritual retreat for gays was held in the diocese of Turin.
The initiative, started by Don Gianluca Carrega, official delegate of Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia for the “pastoral care of homosexuals” was stopped after accusations of heresy from conservative clerics.
This year the retreat on “God's faithfulness as the foundation of faithfulness in human relationships”, open to about forty singles, gays and lesbians, was organized in “secret” but following the same program established a year ago.“A Lenten retreat on love, to convert us to love, today more necessary than not only for homosexual people, but also for straight people“, the Jesuit Pino Piva who participated explained in Avvenire. Also present at the retreat was the gay activist Massimo Battaglia who works for the newspaper The Press he said: “In the Bible it tells of the homosexual love between David and Jonathan, we also started from there in our reflections” and added:“It was a nice surprise: as well as hosting us, the nuns participated in the meetings with us”. The retreat had no moralistic intent but intended to explain that“God is faithful, continue to trust man, therefore also human relationships, from friendship to love, they deserve loyalty and respect”. “Many in the Church feel the need to update the doctrine, but it is a more open environment than others”, underlined Battaglio who asks “not only openness but also respect”. “When we find ourselves among gay believers we take it for granted that gay love is love. And love, in Christianity, it is the essence”, concludes the activist.
source – http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/torino-gay-ritiro-convento-corso-sulla-fedelt-1686139.html?mobile_detect=false