Welcome to our service for IDAHO 2012 – International Day Against Homophobia. We join with those throughout the world who are concerned about the persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals. We recall the many places where to be LGBT is a crime punishable by imprisonment or death. We gather in Belfast*, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and L’Derry in welcoming and accepting our family members and friends whose sexual orientation is different from our own. The theme of our service is —“No more Them and Us.” (or “Moving Forward Together”). [Continue Reading]
Revd. Sandra Pragnell’s sermon in Dublin for IDAHO 2012
13 May 2012
For over 20 years, Southwark Diocese in south London was my spiritual home, in particular the parish church of St John the Divine in Richmond. It was both a formative and a transforming time for me – nurtured by a succession of superbly pastoral, non-judgmental and godly clergy (married, single, divorced, gay, partnered, celibate, male, and latterly female too). I confess I had been strongly anti the ordination of women, and hanging on to particular biblical texts as if my life depended on it. And yet finding myself in 2001 ordained in this cathedral proves that people can change, and that God indeed has a sense of humour. [Continue Reading]
IDAHO 2012 Posters
11 May 2012
Dublin: Christ Church Cathedral, 3.30pm
Cork: St. Anne’s, Shandon, 11.00am Eucharist
L’Derry: St Columb’s Cathedral, 4.00pm
Limerick: St. Mary’s Cathedral, 7.00pm
Waterford: Christ Church Cathedral, 7.30pm [Continue Reading]
The Scriptures and Homosexuality: Old Testament and New Testament Perspectives
5 May 2012
Dr. James Willamson and Pádraig ÓTuama
The two papers published here were given at a day conference organised by the Methodist group Accepting Sexualty in Belfast on 14th May 2011. [Continue Reading]
The Irish News: Letters: Welcoming congregations for gays are in the minority
23 March 2012
I am an openly gay member of the Church of Ireland and one of the unwelcome guests who turned up at the Slieve Russell Hotel for the Church of Ireland’s gay conference. Uninvited because I had spent months trying to ensure, by working carefully and responsibly in the background, that there was meaningful gay participation in the conference and had failed. Not a single LGBT person worshipping in a Church of Ireland parish addressed the gathering or any of its workshops. Not a single openly lesbian person, from anywhere, was invited to participate in the conference. [Continue Reading]
Dublin launch of ‘Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland’
12 March 2012
Revd. Darren McCallig, Chaplain TCD, Judge Catherine McGuinness, Canon Ginnie Kennerley and Dr. Richard O’Leary at the book launch. [Continue Reading]
Belfast Telegraph: Bishops back ‘traditional marriage’
12 March 2012
THE Church of Ireland has underlined its commitment to marriage as being between a man and a woman following its major weekend conference on human sexuality. A joint statement from the Primate Archbishop Alan Harper and the Archbishop of Dublin Dr Michael Jackson stressed that “the church’s position on marriage as being the union of one man and one woman remains constant”. [Continue Reading]
Belfast Telegraph: We have not barred gays from conference on sexuality: Church
10 March 2012
THE Church of Ireland has denied claims that a conference this weekend on human sexuality has deliberately excluded gays from its list of speakers. The two-day conference, which began in the Slieve Russell Hotel in Co Cavan last night, is for members of the General Synod. Some 450 of the 600-strong body are attending. [Continue Reading]
Belfast Telegraph: Same-sex issue needs solution
11 February 2012
The Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Alan Harper will preside at a special conference on March 9-10 which will discuss the vexed question of same-sex relationships. Already the debate is in full flow and this week the pro-gay group Changing Attitude Ireland published a book, ‘Moving Forward Together; Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland’. [Continue Reading]
Photo: Launch of the book “Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland”
7 February 2012
The Ven Gordon Linney, Dr Richard O’Leary, Lady Brenda Sheil and Canon Ginnie Kennerley at the launch of the book “Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland”. [Continue Reading]
