An article published by the Angelite, the official student publication of Holy Angel University, titled “Pride is not the opposite of Catholicism,” challenges the common framing that one must choose between faith and affirmation of LGBTQIA+ persons. The piece argues that this dichotomy is both simplistic and un-Catholic, given that the term “Catholic” itself means universal.
The article asserts that the supposed opposition between affirming LGBTQIA+ individuals and maintaining Catholic identity rests on a narrow reading of doctrine and mission. It points to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which explicitly calls for respect, compassion, and sensitivity toward persons with diverse sexual orientations while condemning unjust discrimination. This teaching is not a modern concession but part of longstanding Church doctrine.
Lived Contradictions in Catholic Institutions
The piece highlights what it calls a lived contradiction: institutions that proclaim human dignity yet hesitate to fully recognize LGBTQIA+ students. When students are allowed to exist but discouraged from expressing their identity, the message becomes conditional—belonging only partially. The article argues that inclusion demanding invisibility is not inclusion but containment.
It does not call for Catholic institutions to abandon their identity but challenges them to live up to it fully. The real question, according to the article, is whether a Catholic university can embody the fullness of Catholicism—commitment to truth alongside accompaniment, dialogue, and justice. It notes that Christ’s ministry was marked by encounter, especially with those on the margins.
Doctrine and Development Through Dialogue
Critics often treat doctrine as static and divorced from context, but the article argues that Catholic tradition has always developed through engagement with human experience. While core teachings remain, the Church has historically deepened its understanding of human dignity, rights, and social justice through dialogue with the world. Thus, engaging with LGBTQIA+ realities is not a betrayal but a continuation of intellectual and pastoral tradition.
The piece also reframes the meaning of Pride, distinguishing it from sinful arrogance. Pride, in this context, is about reclaiming dignity and inclusivity in the face of marginalization. It is a response to a history of rejection that the Church must confront with honesty if it is faithful to its mission.
Dialogue as Strength, Not Weakness
The article warns that silencing conversations weakens faith rather than preserving it. When institutions shut down dialogue, they signal fear rather than conviction. Catholic education, especially, is meant to be a space for formation through critical engagement grounded in faith. If students cannot raise questions about identity, inclusion, and justice within a Catholic setting, where else can such conversations be held responsibly?
Ultimately, the article’s message is that Catholicism, when fully lived, has room for the realities Pride seeks to name. It does not ask the Church to abandon its beliefs but to examine how those beliefs are embodied in real communities—whether they lead to compassion or exclusion, dialogue or silence, hope or fear. The debate is not about whether Pride and Catholicism are opposites but whether Catholic institutions are willing to reflect the radical inclusivity at the heart of the Gospel.
