Congress || The “Rumos Novos – Catholic Homosexuals” association has chosen Portimão for its first world congress of gay Catholics.
Scheduled to go ahead between October 6-8, the event is reported to have already brought positive responses from gay Catholic organisations in Spain, France, UK, Italy, Poland, Brazil and the United States.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) website dezanove reports that the title of the event will be “Building Bridges”, and up for discussion is the slogan “I want Christian mercy, not sacrifice”.
Talking to the press, organisers have said they are expected “some tens” of participants to come together “to deepen their experiences of faith and their relationship with the Church that they love”.
Among speakers confirmed are Francis DeBernardo (United States), Pe. Geraldo Casaldáliga (Brazil), Claude Besson (France) and James Alison (UK).
Rumos Novos coordinator José Leote told reporters that the bishop of the Algarve, D. Manuel Quintas, and patriarch of Lisbon, D. Manuel Clemente, have been invited. but that “experience from earlier situations would indicate that they may not take part”.
Elsewhere in the local press, it has been suggested that even the Pope has received an invitation.
Novos Rumos stresses that the congress is open to Catholic homosexuals who do not belong to any kind of association, as well as homosexuals of other Christian beliefs.
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