In the summer of 2016, a gunman stormed into a nightclub popular among the gay community in Orlando and killed 49 people in the largest mass shooting in U.S. history.
In response, millions in this country grieved and voiced their support for the LGBT community. But I was concerned about what I did not hear. Although many church leaders expressed sorrow and horror, only a handful of the more than 250 Catholic bishops used the words gay or LGBT.
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago; Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla; Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh; Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego; and Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Ky., all spoke out strongly in support of the LGBT community and against homophobia.
Many others, however, remained silent.