Nearly four months ago, Pope Francis inaugurated, to much excitement and anticipation, the Jubilee Year of Mercy now underway. He has called for this to be a time to remind ourselves that the church to be a “home for all,” a place “where everyone is loved, welcomed, and forgiven.” Catholics worldwide are participating in many ways and Malta’s Bishop Mario Grech even expressed his hope that the year would “start a new era for the Church.”

On this Divine Mercy Sunday, it is worth inquiring about what impact the Year of Mercy is actually having for LGBT Catholics, their loved ones, and their allies.

Source:  Bondings 2.0

A special ritual during which the Roman Catholic Church will seek forgiveness from people it has hurt will be part of the annual Divine Mercy Sunday Mass celebrated by Archbishop of New Orleans Gregory Aymond. Billed as a historic and important Mass in the life of the local church, the event will be held April 3 at St. Joseph Church, 1802 Tulane Ave.The archbishop will offer “a ritual of forgiveness and resurrection” that “acknowledges that we as individuals, as members of the archdiocese and society as a whole have let people down,” the archdiocese said. “This rite seeks forgiveness and reconciliation with those who have been hurt or alienated by the church either through institutional or individual offenses.”

Source: NOLA.com