The Board of Directors and Staff of the National
Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay
Ministries (NACDLGM) are saddened by the approval of
the USCCB document "Ministry to Persons with a
Homosexual Inclination. " While the statement
acknowledges the need for ministry with homosexual
persons, the guidelines were developed without
consultation with bishops and pastoral leaders of
existing local diocesan outreach ministries, and
without consultation with lesbian and gay Catholics.
They also ignored the insights of science on sexuality
and the valuable contribution of the 1997 pastoral
letter, "Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to
Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for
Pastoral Ministers."

We are especially disappointed that the guidelines,
while recommending that *Church ministers listen to
the experiences, needs, and hopes of the persons with
a homosexual inclination to whom and with whom they
minister, do not in fact reflect the real lives of
gay and lesbian people, especially Catholics. The
guidelines characterize homosexual persons as focused
on sexual inclinations, tendencies, acts and behavior
without reference to the integrity of the fuller lives
of faith, love, commitment, service and spirituality
of Catholic gay and lesbian persons.

For more than 25 years, diocesan ministries have
welcomed in the Church gay and lesbian Catholics who
understand and affirm their sexual orientation as
intrinsic to their identity. It is profoundly sad that
many of them and their families will be unnecessarily
alienated by the tone of this document.

In calling them to public silence about their identity
the Church would render gay and lesbian Catholics less
than welcome as equals by baptism and would encourage
deception and shame.

In accordance with the Mission Statement of NACDLGM,
we urge individual bishops and the Bishops' Conference
to *reflect on Sacred Scripture, reflect on Church
teaching and pastoral practice, study the social and
physical sciences, listen to and ponder the lived
experience of lesbian and gay persons and their
families,* and to develop a truly pastoral and
prophetic document on the place of lesbian and gay
Catholics in their Church.