Recreation

Not all Catholics are welcoming Pope Benedict XVI with open arms. Gay Catholics and especially gay Catholics associated with DignityUSA will launch formal protests in Washington and New York against Benedict and his "anti-gay stances."

Mark Matson of Powell, Ohio, is president of the board of DignityUSA, the nation's largest organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics.

"We, along with many Catholics, disagree with the church's official position about teachings on sexual issues," Matson said. "Our particular area of focus is around sexual orientation.

"There are lot of faithful Catholics who dissent from the church's teachings on sexuality. For example, Catholics and birth control. Most lay Catholics don't follow the church's teaching on birth control issues or family planning. There are major disconnects between what Catholics do and what the church demands of them."

Matson characterizes DignityUSA as a "voice of faithful dissent." On Saturday, April 12, the organization will stage a protest demonstration — The Global Impact of Pope Benedict's Anti-gay Campaign — at Ralph J. Bunche Park across the street from the United Nations in New York City.

"The Vatican demands strict allegiance," Matson said. "The current pope is about orthodoxy. But a fundamental teaching of the church is the primacy of conscience. This means any Catholic whose conscience is well-informed by the teachings of the church ultimately has to follow their conscience."

On Tuesday, when the pope arrives, DignityUSA will demonstrate along the pope's motorcade route through Washington D.C. The group will be present during the pope's meeting with U.S. bishops Wednesday.

"We're going to have a presence on the parade route with signs," Matson explained. "It will be a respectful presence by a portion of his flock that has been ignored and vilified."

Vote for this story!