MA Catholics Warn Parents Against 12-Step Program For LGBTQ Youth

BOSTON, MA — The local LGBTQ+ Catholic group Dignity Boston, a sector of the national organization DignityUSA, is one of several advocacy groups warning parents against participating in the EnCourage and Courage “ministries” that the Archdiocese of Detroit is currently promoting.

In the last few weeks, the archdiocese has sent notices to priests asking them to invite “family and friends of people who experience same-sex attractions and/or gender dysphoria” to participate in EnCourage monthly “support meetings.”

Courage, which already has many chapters and events scheduled across the country, invites LGBTQ+ Catholics to use an adapted 12-step program originally created by Alcoholics Anonymous to fight against their sexual orientations and gender identities.

“A positive, life-enhancing celibacy is certainly a legitimate goal for those who freely choose it,” said Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA and longtime member of Dignity Boston, in a statement. “But Courage rests on the belief that homosexuality and being transgender are psychological aberrations, emotional debilities. Courage aims to have people restrain and control what they believe is a ‘sickness.’ Such a negative starting point, which ignores the bulk of current scientific opinion and decades of testimony from LGBTQ+ people can hardly foster personal integration, emotional well-being, or real holiness.”

According to its website, the first stated goal of Courage is “To live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.” The Roman Catholic catechism calls a homosexual orientation “intrinsically disordered” and contrary to “natural law.”

The website also says, “Acceptance of another human being does not necessarily mean that we will agree with all his or her decisions and choices. Sometimes love requires us to make our disagreement known. For example, a practicing Catholic cannot in good conscience attend a same-sex wedding, as this would imply approval of a union that faith tells us is contrary to God’s plan for human beings.”

“Not attending a child’s wedding or denying a child the chance to live as God created them, is unthinkable to a loving parent,” said Linda Karle-Nelson of Families With Dignity, one of the organizations speaking out against Courage. “EnCourage’s condemnation of their children’s non-heterosexual, loving, sexual relationships or authentic identity is cruel. It will lead to broken families, heartache and suicide.”

“We urge Catholic parents of LGBTQ+ young people who want support in their journey to seek it from a truly affirming group, such as Dignity, Families With Dignity, or PFLAG,” she continued. "There are many wonderful support groups for parents and LGBTQ+ people, but unfortunately, EnCourage and Courage are not among them.”

Many voices in the Church, including bishops like Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, have called for change in the Church’s official teachings on homosexuality. Cardinal Hollerich, who leads the pan-European Bishops Conference, said recently, “I believe that the sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct.”

“It may be a long time before this truth is accepted by the wider Church,” said Carolyn Shalhoub, a leader of Dignity/Detroit, in a statement. “But change does come. In the meantime, we continue to pray for the local hierarchy and the people of the Church in Detroit.”

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