Henri Nouwen: Priest and author who struggled with his homosexuality

Henri J. M. Nouwen was a Catholic priest and bestselling author who wrestled with his own homosexuality. He died 20 years ago on this date (Sept. 21, 1996).

Nouwen (1932-1996) remains one of the most popular and influential modern spiritual writers. He wrote more than 40 books, including The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, and The Inner Voice of Love.

For a new version of this article, click this link to Qspirit.net:
Henri Nouwen: Priest and author who struggled with his homosexuality


Known as a “gay celibate, he probably would have had mixed feelings about being included in this series on LGBT Saints. Nouwen never directly discussed his gay sexual orientation in his published writings, but he confided his conflict over it in private journals and conversations. These are documented in his outstanding and honest 2002 biography Wounded Prophet by Michael Ford. Despite his loneliness and same-sex attractions, there is no evidence that Nouwen ever broke his vow of celibacy.

His personal struggle with his sexual orientation may have added depth to his writing. “The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity or power, but self-rejection,” he said.

Although Nouwen is not an officially recognized saint, his “spirituality of the heart” has touched millions of readers. Nouwen’s books have sold more than 2 million copies in over 22 languages. He emphasized relationships and social justice with core values of solitude, community and compassion.

Nouwen was born in Holland on Jan. 24, 1932. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1957 and went on to study psychology. He taught at several theological institutes in his homeland and in the United States, including the divinity schools at Harvard and Yale.

In 1985 he began service in Toronto, Canada, as the priest at the L’Arche Daybreak Community, where people with developmental disabilities live with assistants. It became Nouwen’s home until his sudden death in 1996 at age 64. He died from a heart attack while traveling to Russia to do a documentary.

The video below shows Nouwen speaking on "Being the Beloved" at the Crystal Cathedral in California in 1992. One of the  newest books about him is the 2012 biography “Genius Born of Anguish: The Life and Legacy of Henri Nouwen” by Michael Higgins, Nouwen’s official biographer.

The icon of Nouwen at the top of this post was painted by Brother Robert Lentz, a Franciscan friar known for his innovative and LGBT-positive icons. During his lifetime Nouwen commissioned Lentz to make an icon for him that symbolized the act of offering his own sexuality and affection to Christ.

Christ the Bridegroom
by Robert Lentz
trinitystores.com

Research and reflection led Lentz to paint “Christ the Bridegroom” (left) for Nouwen in 1983. It shows Christ being embraced by his beloved disciple, based on an icon from medieval Crete. “Henri used it to come to grips with his own homosexuality,” Lentz explained in my book “Art That Dares,” which includes this icon and the story behind it. “I was told he carried it with him everywhere and it was one of the most precious things in his life.”

Lentz’s icon / portrait the top of this post shows Nouwen in an open-handed pose. It calls to mind a prayer written by Nouwen in The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life:

Dear God,
I am so afraid to open my clenched fists!
Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to?
Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?
Please help me to gradually open my hands
and to discover that I am not what I own,
but what you want to give me.

Nouwen gave the gift of his spiritual vision to generations of readers. He encouraged each individual to find their own mission in life with words such as these:

“When the imitation of Christ does not mean to live a life like Christ, but to live your life as authentically as Christ lived his, then there are many ways and forms in which a man can be a Christian.” -- from "The Wounded Healer"

“My hope is that the description of God's love in my life will give you the freedom and the courage to discover . . . God's love in yours.” -- from “Here and Now: Living in the Spirit”

To watch the rest of the sermon, visit the following YouTube page with links to all 8 parts of Nouwen’s sermon on “Being the Beloved”:
http://www.youtube.com/user/belovedson12

A book “The Spiritual Life: Eight Essential Titles by Henri Nouwen” was published in 2016. It includes Intimacy, A Letter of, Consolation, Letters to Marc About Jesus, The Living Reminder, Making All Things New, Our Greatest Gift, Way of the Heart, and Gracias.

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Related links:
Henri Nouwen Society

“Henri's Wound with a View” by Chris Glaser

Chris Glaser on Henri Nouwen’s sexuality (Huffington Post)

Henri Nouwen, on Andrew Sullivan and the “Blessing” of Homosexuality (Queering the Church)

Top image credit:
“Henri Nouwen” by Br. Robert Lentz, trinitystores.com

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Icons of Henri Nouwen, Christ the Bridegroom and many others are available on cards, plaques, T-shirts, mugs, candles, mugs, and more at TrinityStores.com



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This post is part of the LGBTQ Saints series by Kittredge Cherry. Traditional and alternative saints, people in the Bible, LGBTQ martyrs, authors, theologians, religious leaders, artists, deities and other figures of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people and our allies are covered.

Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.

Mychal Judge, gay saint of 9/11 and chaplain to New York firefighters

Father Mychal Judge, chaplain to New York firefighters and unofficial “gay saint,” died helping others in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He was killed by flying debris while praying and administering sacraments at the World Trade Center. Father Mychal (1933-2001) was the first recorded victim of 9/11.

For a new version of this article, click this link to Qspirit.net:
Mychal Judge, gay saint of 9/11 and chaplain to New York firefighters


Father Mychal responded quickly when extremists flew hijacked planes into the twin towers. He rushed with firefighters into the north tower right after the first plane hit. Refusing to be evacuated, he prayed and gave sacraments as wreckage crashed outside. He saw dozens of bodies hit the plaza outside as people jumped to their deaths. His final prayer, repeated over and over, was “Jesus, please end this right now! God, please end this!”

While he was praying, Father Mychal was struck and killed in a storm of flying steel and concrete that exploded when the south tower collapsed. Father Mychal was designated as Victim 0001 because his was the first body recovered at the scene. More than 2,500 people from many nationalities and walks of life were killed. Thousands more escaped the buildings safely.

After Father Mychal’s death, some of his friends revealed that he considered himself a gay man. He had a homosexual orientation, but by all accounts he remained faithful to his vow of celibacy as a Roman Catholic priest of the Franciscan order.

The charismatic, elderly priest was a long-term member of Dignity, the oldest and largest national lay movement of LGBT Catholics and their allies. Father Mychal voiced disagreement with the Vatican’s condemnation of homosexuality, and found ways to welcome Dignity’s AIDS ministry despite a ban by church leaders. He defied a church boycott of the first gay-inclusive St. Patrick’s Day parade in Queens, showing up in his habit and granting news media interviews.

During his lifetime, he often said, “Is there so much love in the world that we can afford to discriminate against any kind of love?”

Many people, both inside and outside the LGBT community, call Father Mychal a saint. He has not been canonized yet by his own Roman Catholic Church, but some feel that he has already become a saint by popular acclamation, and the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America did declare officially declare him a saint. Here is a round-up of artwork, films and books about him.

A dramatic icon of Father Mychal against a backdrop of the burning buildings was painted by Father William Hart McNichols. He shows Father Mychal with St. Francis of Assisi as the World Trade Center burns behind them. The narrative that accompanies the icon describes Father Mychal as a Passion Bearer who “takes on the oncoming violence rather than returning it… choosing solidarity with the unprotected.” It is one of 32 McNichols icons included in “You Will Be My Witnesses: Saints, Prophets, And Martyrs” with text by John Dear. McNichols is a Roman Catholic priest based in New Mexico. He has a deep connection to New York City because he worked at an AIDS hospice there in the 1980s.

“Father Mychal Judge” by Brother Robert Lentz, trinitystores.com

Father Mychal carries his fire department hat in an icon by Brother Robert Lentz, is a Franciscan friar known for his innovative and LGBT-positive icons. It is one of 40 icons featured in the book “Christ in the Margins” by Robert Lentz and Edwina Gateley.  Lentz is stationed at Holy Name College in Silver Spring, Maryland. Both McNichols and Lentz have faced controversy for painting gay-affirming icons. They are two of the 11 artists whose life and work are featured in “Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More ” by Kittredge Cherry.

“Mychal Judge” by Tobias Haller

A smiling Mychal Judge with a halo was sketched by Tobias Haller, an iconographer, author, composer, and vicar of Saint James Episcopal Church in the Bronx. He is the author of “Reasonable and Holy: Engaging Same-Sexuality.” Haller enjoys expanding the diversity of icons available by creating icons of LGBTQ people and other progressive holy figures as well as traditional saints. He and his spouse were united in a church wedding more than 30 years ago and a civil ceremony after same-sex marriage became legal in New York.

“Fr. Mychal Judge” at the Legacy Walk

In 2014 Father Mychal was inducted into the Legacy Walk in a Chicago. The outdoor public display celebrates LGBT history through a series of biographical bronze plaques with laser-etched photos located in a traditionally gay neighborhood along North Halsted Street.

In June 2015 a larger-than-life bronze statue was dedicated to him at St. Joseph’s Park in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the street from St. Joseph’s church, where he worked for several years. It was sculpted by nationally known artist Brian Hanlon, who has sculpted more than 300 public art pieces of religious, civic and sports figures.

“(Saint) Mychal Judge being Welcomed by the Franciscan Saints” by JR Leveroni

The priest's connection with others is emphasized in “(Saint) Mychal Judge being Welcomed by the Franciscan Saints” by JR Leveroni. Deliberately painted in the primitive style of folk art, it goes beyond the iconic news photo, sometimes called the “American Pieta,” that shows firefighters carrying Father Mychal’s limp corpse at Ground Zero. In Leveroni’s vision, saints replace the firefighters to carry Mychal onward to heaven. He holds his red firemen's helmet in his left hand. Leveroni has also painted gay martyrs Matthew Shepard and Saint Sebastian together. A variety of male nudes and religious paintings can be seen on Leveroni’s website (warning: male nudity).

Stories from the life of Father Mychal are presented in the book, “Mychal's Prayer: Praying with Father Mychal Judge” by Salvatore Sapienza, a former monk who worked with Father Mychal to build St. Francis AIDS Ministry in New York City. The book mixes prayers with stories from the chaplain’s life. It begins with Father Mychal’s own words, a text that has come to be known simply as “Mychal’s Prayer”:

Lord, take me where You want me to go;
Let me meet who You want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say; and
Keep me out of your way.

For an excerpt from the book, see my previous post 10 years later: Mychal Judge, gay saint of 9/11. Sapienza is also the author of Seventy Times Seven: A Novel, a novel about a young Catholic brother torn between his sexuality and his spirituality as an out and proud gay man.

The film Saint of 9/11 - The True Story of Father Mychal Judge is a complete and uplifting documentary on Father Mychal’s life, including his gay orientation and his support for LGBT rights.  Its producers include Brendan Fay, who directed “Taking a Chance on God,” a biopic about gay priest John McNeill.

Another gay man who died heroically helping others in the Sept. 11 attack was rugby champion Mark Bingham, who lost his life while fighting hijackers on Flight 93. His story is told in my previous post at this link.

An excellent interfaith selection of prayers for peace is available at WorldPrayers.org. It includes prayers by Father Mychal as well as Sister Joan Chittister, Dr. Maya Angelou, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Dr. Jane Goodall, Rumi, Lao-Tse, Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad, Jesus and many more.

Mychal Judge is the first recorded victim of 9/11 -- and also the first saint profiled in the LGBTQ Saints series by Kittredge Cherry when it began on Sept. 11, 2009. Traditional and alternative saints, people in the Bible, LGBTQ martyrs, authors, theologians, religious leaders, artists, deities and other figures of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people and our allies are covered.

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, may these images and stories inspire people with renewed dedication to peace and service to humanity.

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Related link:

Saint Mychal Judge Blog

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Top image credit:
“Holy Passion Bearer Mychal Judge and St. Francis of Assisi” by William Hart McNichols


Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.

The Mychal Judge icon is available on cards, plaques, T-shirts, mugs, candles, mugs, and more at TrinityStores.com

Rainbow Christ Prayer translated into 10 languages: LGBT flag reveals the queer Christ

Translated for the first time into 10 languages, the Rainbow Christ Prayer matches the colors of the LGBT Pride Flag with the many faces of the queer Christ.

Today the prayer is posted for the first time in Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Polish, Portuguese and Russian.


For a new version of this article, click this link to Qspirit.net:
Rainbow Christ Prayer translated into 10 languages: LGBT flag reveals the queer Christ

Lesbian author Kittredge Cherry and gay theologian Patrick S. Cheng wrote the prayer based on the seven models of the queer Christ from Cheng’s book “From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ.”

Rainbow flags are flying around the world in June for LGBT Pride Month. Rainbows are also an important symbol in many religious traditions. The Rainbow Christ Prayer honors the spiritual values of the LGBTQ movement.

Progressive Christians believe that homosexuality is not a sin. Scholars say that the Bible does not condemn loving same-sex relationships. Therefore LGBTQ people should be accepted and affirmed by churches. The Rainbow Christ Prayer expresses the belief that LGBTQ people are a natural part of God’s creation.

The Rainbow Christ Prayer has been used by many progressive Christians for individual devotions and group worship. Conservatives denounced it as blasphemy.

The translation process inspired grassroots theological reflection on a global scale. Each translator raised questions about a different aspect of the queer Christ:

Does Rainbow Christ mean that Christ emits a rainbow or that Christ IS a rainbow? Is the Self-Loving Christ in love with himself? Do LGBT really feel shame about their sexuality? Is the Erotic Christ more about the power of life or about hot sexual practices? What does the Out Christ mean in cultures where there is no expression for “coming out of the closet”?

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the rainbow stands for God’s promise to support all life on earth. The prayer also incorporates the chakra system of seven energy centers of the human body.

The LGBTQ prayer takes on new meaning when read in a rainbow spectrum of languages from around the world.

Today’s post combines all the languages. Click the titles for individual articles with the Rainbow Christ Prayer in each language.

English: Rainbow Christ Prayer

Spanish: Oración al Cristo del Arco Iris

Chinese: 彩虹基督禱文

French: Prière au Christ Arc-en-Ciel

German: Gebet zum Christus des Regenbogens

Italian: La Preghiera del Cristo Arcobaleno

Japanese: 虹色のキリストへの祈り

Malay: Doa Kristus Sang Pelangi

Polish: Modlitwa do Tęczowego Chrystusa

Portuguese: Oração ao Cristo Arco-Íris

Russian: Молитва Радужному Христу

Please contact Jesus in Love if you want to translate the prayer into another language.

Rainbow Christ, you embody all the colors of the world. Rainbows serve as bridges between different realms: heaven and earth, east and west, queer and non-queer. Inspire us to remember the values expressed in the rainbow flag of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

Spanish: Cristo del Arco Iris, tú encarnas todos los colores del mundo. Los arco iris sirven como puentes entre los diferentes dominios: el cielo y la tierra, el este y el oeste, lo queer y lo no-queer. Inspíramos para recordar los valores expresados en la bandera del arco iris de la comunidad de lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero, intersexuales y queer.

Chinese: 彩虹基督，你將這世上所有的色彩呈於一身。彩虹搭橋跨越天與地、東與西、酷兒與非酷兒的藩籬。激勵我們銘記彩虹旗上代表女同性戀、男同性戀、雙性戀、跨性別和酷兒群體色彩的意義。

French: Christ Arc-en-Ciel, tu incarnes toutes les couleurs du monde. Les arcs-en-ciel servent de ponts entre les différentes sphères : le ciel et la terre, l'est et l'ouest, queer et non queer. Donne-nous de nous rappeler les valeurs exprimées par le drapeau arc-en-ciel de la communauté lesbienne, gay, bisexuelle, transgenre et queer.

German: Regenbogen-Christus, du verkörperst alle Farben dieser Welt. Regenbögen sind Brücken zwischen den verschiedenen Welten: Himmel und Erde, Ost und West, Queer und Nicht-queer. Begeistere uns, damit wir uns an die Werte zu erinnern, die in der Regenbogenfahne der lesbisch, schwulen, bisexuellen, transgender und queeren Gemeinschaft zum Ausdruck kommen.

Italian: Cristo arcobaleno, tu incarni tutti i colori del mondo. L’arcobaleno crea ponti tra realtà diverse: cielo e terra, est e ovest, queer e non-queer. Ispiraci a ricordare i valori espressi nella bandiera arcobaleno della comunità lesbica, gay, bisessuale, transgender e queer.

Japanese: 虹色の主キリストよ，あなたは世のすべての色を表しています．虹は架け橋，天と地，東と西，差別される者とする者との架け橋です．わたしたち LGBTQ コミュニティの旗の虹色が何を意味しているかを，想い起こさせてください．

Malay: Kristus Sang Pelangi, engkau menggenapi seluruh warna-warni dunia. Pelangi adalah jambatan menghubungkan alam yang berbeza: langit dan bumi, timur dan barat, quir dan bukan-quir. Berikanlah kami ilham untuk mengingati nilai-nilai murni yang terpancar melalui bendera pelangi dari komuniti lesbian, gay, biseksual dan quir:

Polish: Tęczowy Chryste, ucieleśniasz wszystkie barwy świata. Tęcze łączą różne wymiary rzeczywistości: niebo i ziemię, wschód i zachód, to, co queer, i to, co nie queer. Przypominaj nam o wartościach wyrażanych przez tęczową flagę społeczności lesbijek, gejów, biseksualistów i osób transpłciowych.

Portuguese: Cristo Arco-Íris, tu encarnas todas as cores do mundo. Arco-íris servem como pontes entre diferentes mundos: o céu e a terra, leste e oeste, gay e hétero, cis e trans. Dê-nos inspiração para que lembremos os valores expressados na bandeira colorida da comunidade de lésbicas, gays, bissexuais, travestis, transexuais e transgêneros.

Russian: Радужный Христос, Ты объединяешь все краски мира. Радуги служат мостами между различными сферами: небом и землей, востоком и западом, квиром и не-квиром. Вдохновляй нас помнить ценности, выраженные в радужном флаге лесбиянок, геев, бисексуалов, трансгендеров и квир сообщества.

Red is for life, the root of spirit. Living and Self-Loving Christ, you are our Root. Free us from shame and grant us the grace of healthy pride so we can follow our own inner light. With the red stripe in the rainbow, we give thanks that God created us just the way we are.

Spanish: El color rojo simboliza la vida, la raíz del espíritu. Cristo Vivo y Amoroso, tú eres nuestra raíz. Líbranos de la vergüenza y concédenos la gracia de un orgullo sano a fin de que podamos seguir nuestra propia luz interior. Con la franja roja del arco iris, te damos gracias porque Dios que nos ha creado de la manera tal cual somos.

Chinese: 紅色代表生命，靈性之根。永生與自愛的基督，你是我們的依靠，將我們從羞恥中釋放，賜我們驕傲的恩典，讓我們可以追隨內心之光。籍彩虹旗紅色的條紋，我們感謝上主創造創造我們成我們所是的樣子。

French: Le rouge est pour la vie, l’origine de l'esprit. Christ de la vie et de l’amour de soi, tu es notre Origine. Libère-nous de la honte et accorde-nous la grâce d’une fierté saine afin que nous puissions suivre notre lumière intérieure. Avec la bande rouge dans l'arc en ciel, nous rendons grâce que Dieu nous ait créés tels que nous sommes.

German: Rot steht für Liebe, die Wurzel des Geistes. Lebender Christus, der du sagst, dass wir uns selber lieben dürfen, du bist unsere Wurzel. Befreie uns von Scham und schenke uns die Gnade eines gesunden Stolzes, so dass wir unserem eigenen, inneren Licht folgen können. Mit dem roten Streifen im Regenbogen danken wir, dass uns Gott genauso erschaffen hat, wie wir sind.

Italian: Il rosso è per la vita. Cristo vivente e amante, tu sei la Radice. Liberaci dalla vergogna e concedici la grazia di un sano orgoglio così da poter seguire la nostra luce interiore. Con la striscia rossa dell’arcobaleno, diamo grazie che Dio ci ha creati così come siamo.

Japanese: 赤は命，精気の源．永遠の命に生きておられ，御自身を愛しておられる主キリストよ，あなたはわたしたちの源です．自己否定感からわたしたちを解放し，わたしたちが自身の内なる光に導かれることができるよう，健全な誇りを持つ恵みをお与えください．虹の赤のもとに，わたしたちを今あるように創造してくださったことを神に感謝します．

Malay: Merah menggambarkan kehidupan, iaitu akar bagi roh. Sang Kristus yang hidup dan penuh cintakasih, engkaulah akar rohani kami. Bebaskanlah kami dari rasa malu dan berikanlah kami rahmat harga diri yang sihat supaya kami dapat mengikuti terang di dalam diri kami. Demi jalur merah pada pelangi, kami mengucap syukur kerana Tuhan Yang Maha Esa menciptakan kami seadanya.

Polish: Czerwień to życie, korzeń ducha. Żywy i kochający siebie samego Chryste, jesteś naszym Korzeniem. Uwolnij nas od wstydu i obdarz nas łaską zdrowej dumy, byśmy mogli podążać śladem swego wewnętrznego światła. Przez czerwony kolor tęczy dziękujemy Bogu, że stworzył nas takimi, jakimi jesteśmy.

Portuguese: Vermelho é a vida, a raiz do espírito. Cristo Vivo e Cheio de Amor, tu és nossa Raiz. Liberte-nos da vergonha e nos conceda a graça do orgulho saudável, a fim de que possamos seguir nossa luz interior. Com a faixa vermelha do arco-íris, damos graças a Deus por nos ter criado exatamente assim como somos.

Russian: Красный цвет символизирует жизнь, источник духа. Живущий и любящий себя Христос, Ты есть наш Источник. Освободи нас от стыда и даруй нам благодать разумной гордости, чтоб мы могли следовать нашему собственному внутреннему свету. Красной полоской радуги мы благодарим Бога за то, что он сотворил нас такими, какие мы есть.

Orange is for sexuality, the fire of spirit. Erotic Christ, you are our Fire, the Word made flesh. Free us from exploitation and grant us the grace of mutual relationships. With the orange stripe in the rainbow, kindle a fire of passion in us.

Spanish: El color naranja simboliza la sexualidad, el fuego del espíritu. Cristo Erótico, tú eres nuestro fuego, la Palabra echa carne. Líbranos de la explotación y concédenos la gracia de vivir relaciones mutuas. Con la franja naranja del arco iris, enciende el fuego de la pasión en nosotros.

Chinese: 橙色代表性慾，靈性之火。情慾的基督，你是我們的火光，道成了肉身，將我們從剝削中釋放，賜我們互惠的關係。藉彩虹旗橙色的條紋，上主點燃我們內心的激情。

French: L'orange est pour la sexualité, le feu de l'esprit. Christ Érotique, tu es notre feu, le Verbe fait chair. Libère-nous de l'exploitation et accorde-nous la grâce de relations réciproques. Avec la bande orange dans l’arc-en-ciel, allume en nous le feu de la passion.

German: Orange steht für Sexualität, das Feuer des Geistes. Erotischer Christus, du bist unser Feuer, das Wort das Fleisch geworden ist. Befreie uns von Ausbeutung und gib uns die Gnade gleichberechtigter Beziehungen. Mit dem orangen Streifen des Regenbogens entzünde ein Feuer der Leidenschaft in uns.

Italian: L’arancio è per la sessualità, il fuoco dello spirito. Cristo erotico, tu sei il nostro Fuoco, la Parola fatta carne. Liberaci dallo sfruttamento e concedici la grazia di mutue relazioni. Con la striscia arancio dell’arcobaleno accendiamo in noi il fuoco della passione.

Japanese: オレンジはセクシュアリティ，精気の炎．エロスの主キリスト，受肉なさった御ことばよ，あなたはわたしたちの炎です．相手を利用するだけの利己心からわたしたちを解放し，互いを思い合える恵みをお与えください．虹のオレンジのもとに，わたしたちのなかに情熱の炎をともしてください．

Malay: Jingga menggambarkan karunia seksualiti, iaitu api bagi roh. Eros Kristus, engkaulah Sang Api, Firman yang menjadi Manusia. Bebaskanlah kami dari segala eksploitasi dan berikanlah kami rahmat untuk hubungan romantik yang penuh hormat dan saling memahami. Demi jalur jingga pada pelangi, semarakkan api cintakasih kami.

Polish: Pomarańcz to seksualność, ogień ducha. Erotyczny Chryste, jesteś naszym Ogniem, Słowem, które stało się ciałem. Uwolnij nas od wyzysku i obdarz łaską wzajemnych relacji. Przez pomarańczowy kolor tęczy roznieć w nas ogień namiętności.

Portuguese: Laranja é a sexualidade, o fogo do espírito. Cristo Erótico, tu és nosso Fogo, a Palavra feita Carne. Liberte-nos da exploração e nos conceda a graça do relacionamento mútuo. Com a faixa laranja do arco-íris, inflame-nos com o fogo da paixão.

Russian: Оранжевый цвет символизирует сексуальность, огонь духа. Эротический Христос, Ты есть наш Огонь, Слово, ставшее плотью. Освободи нас от эксплуатации и даруй нам благодать взаимных отношений. Оранжевой полоской радуги разожги в нас огонь страсти.

Yellow is for self-esteem, the core of spirit. Out Christ, you are our Core. Free us from closets of secrecy and give us the guts and grace to come out. With the yellow stripe in the rainbow, build our confidence.

Spanish: El color amarillo simboliza la autoestima, el núcleo del espíritu. Cristo Asumido, tú eres nuestra esencia. Líbranos de los armarios de la clandestinidad y danos el coraje y la gracia para salir de ellos. Con la franja amarilla del arco iris, construye nuestra confianza.

Chinese: 黃色代表自尊，靈性之核。出櫃的基督，你是我們的核心，將我們從隱秘的櫃中釋放，賜我們走出來的勇氣。藉彩虹旗黃色的條紋，上主堅立了我們的信心。

French: Le jaune est pour l'estime de soi, le fondement de l'esprit. Christ qui te révèles, tu es notre fondement. Libère-nous de l’enfermement dans nos secrets et donne-nous le courage et la grâce de nous révéler. Avec la bande jaune dans l'arc en ciel, renforce notre confiance.

German: Gelb steht für Selbstachtung, das Zentrum des Geistes. Offen lebender Christus, du bist unser Zentrum, Befreie uns aus den Gefängnissen der Heimlichkeit, und schenke uns den Mut und die Gnade, unser Coming out zu haben. Mit dem gelben Streifen des Regenbogens baue unser Selbstvertrauen auf.

Italian: Il giallo è per l’autostima, il nocciolo dello spirito. Liberaci dalle angustie della segretezza e dacci il coraggio e la grazia di svelarci. Con la striscia gialla dell’arcobaleno, costruisci la nostra fiducia in noi stessi.

Japanese: 黄色は自尊心，精気の核．何も隠さない主キリストよ，あなたはわたしたちの核です．こころを閉ざすことからわたしたちを解放してください．クロゼットから出る勇気と恵みをお与えください．虹の黄色のもとに，わたしたちに自信を持たせてください．

Malay: Kuning menggambarkan harga diri, iaitu teras bagi roh. Kristus Sang Pewarta, engkaulah teras kami. Bebaskanlah kami dari persembunyian diri yang membinasakan dan berikanlah kami keberanian serta rahmat untuk meyakini keberadaan kami. Demi jalur kuning pada pelangi, kuatkanlah keyakinan kami.

Polish: Żółty to szacunek do samego siebie, centrum ducha. Chryste, który nie wstydzisz się siebie samego, jesteś naszym Centrum. Uwolnij nas od ukrywania się i obdarz nas odwagą i łaską przyznania się do siebie. Przez żółty kolor tęczy buduj w nas pewność siebie.

Portuguese: Amarelo é a autoestima, o cerne do espírito. Cristo Assumido, tu és nosso Cerne. Liberte-nos dos armários e nos conceda a coragem e a graça de nos assumir. Com a faixa amarela do arco-íris, construa essa nossa confiança.

Russian: Желтый цвет символизирует самоуважение, стержень духа. Открывшийся Христос, Ты есть наш Стержень. Освободи нас от наших чуланов тайн и дай нам мужество и благодать открыться. Желтой полоской радуги укрепи нашу веру.

Green is for love, the heart of spirit. Transgressive Outlaw Christ, you are our Heart, breaking rules out of love. In a world obsessed with purity, you touch the sick and eat with outcasts. Free us from conformity and grant us the grace of deviance. With the green stripe in the rainbow, fill our hearts with untamed compassion for all beings.

Spanish: El color verde simboliza el amor, el corazón del espíritu. Cristo Transgresor, tú eres nuestro corazón, rompiendo las reglas en nombre del amor. En un mundo obsesionado por la pureza, tú tocas los enfermos y comes con los marginados. Líbranos de la conformidad y concédenos la gracia de la transgresión. Con la franja verde del arco iris, llena nuestros corazones de compasión hacia todos los seres vivos.

Chinese: 綠色代表愛，靈性之心。出格不守矩的基督，你是我們的內心，用愛打破陳規。在一個沉迷於聖潔之妄的世界中，你觸摸患病者、與流浪者同席。將我們從流俗的迎合中釋放，賜我們越軌的恩典。藉彩虹旗綠色的條紋，上主將我們的心充滿對萬物的悲憫。

French: Le vert est pour l'amour, le cœur de l'esprit. Christ hors la loi et transgressif, tu es notre coeur, brisant les règles par amour. Dans un monde obsédé par la pureté, tu touches les malades et tu manges avec les exclus. Libère-nous du conformisme et accorde-nous la grâce de sortir des sentiers battus. Avec la bande verte dans l'arc en ciel, remplis nos cœurs d’une compassion sauvage pour tous les êtres.

German: Grün steht für die Liebe, das Herz des Geistes. Gesetze übertretender Christus, du bist unser Herz, das die Regeln der Liebe sprengt. In einer Welt die besessen ist mit Reinheit, berührst du die Kranken und isst mit den Ausgestoßen. Befreie uns von der Eintönigkeit und schenke uns die Gnade des Widerstandes. Mit dem grünen Streifen des Regenbogens erfülle unsere Herzen mit ungezähmten Mitgefühl für alles Sein.

Italian: Il verde è per l’amore, il cuore, lo spirito. Cristo trasgressivo e fuori da ogni regola, tu sei il nostro Cuore, infrangi le regole per amore. In un mondo ossessionato dalla purezza tu tocchi i malati e mangi con gli emarginati. Liberaci dal conformismo e dacci la grazia della devianza. Con la striscia verde dell’arcobaleno, riempi i nostri cuori di compassione infinita per tutti gli esseri.

Japanese: 緑は愛，精気の心．律法を超越した主キリストよ，愛によって律法を打ち壊すあなたは，わたしたちの心です．浄さに執着するこの世において，あなたは，不浄と見なされた病人たちに触れ，差別された者たちと食事をともになさいます．因襲からわたしたちを解放し，律法に縛られずにいる恵みをお与えください．虹の緑のもとに，わたしたちの心を，律法にとらわれずにあらゆる存在を思いやる気持ちで満たしてください．

Malay: Hijau menggambarkan cintakasih, iaitu hati bagi roh. Kristus Sang Pencabar segala hukum yang sia-sia, engkau menolak hukum tegar atas nama cintakasih, engkaulah Hati kami. Pada saat duniamu begitu taksub dengan hukum kekudusan, engkau menyentuh orang yang dianggap terkutuk dan makan bersama orang yang tertindas. Bebaskanlah kami dari sikap akur yang membuta tuli dan berikanlah kami rahmat untuk menolak kekerasan hukum. Demi jalur hijau pada pelangi, penuhi hati kami dengan belas kasihan yang luar biasa untuk segenap makhluk ciptaan Tuhan.

Polish: Niebieski to wyrażanie samych siebie, głos ducha. Chryste Wyzwolicielu, jesteś naszym Głosem, przemawiającym przeciwko wszelkim postaciom opresji. Uwolnij nas od apatii i obdarz łaską aktywności. Przez niebieski kolor tęczy motywuj nas, byśmy żądali sprawiedliwości.

Portuguese: Verde é o amor, o coração do espírito. Cristo Transviado, Marginal, tu és nosso coração, violando as regras por amor. Em um mundo obcecado com a pureza, você toca os doentes e come com os párias da sociedade. Liberte-nos da conformidade e nos conceda a graça da divergência. Com a faixa verde do arco-íris, preencha nossos corações com indomada compaixão por todos os seres.

Russian: Зеленый цвет символизирует любовь, сердце духа. Преодолевший невозможные запреты Христос, Ты есть наше Сердце, нарушающее правила из любви. Преследуемый в мире в непорочности, Ты прикасаешься к больным и ешь вместе с отверженными. Освободи нас от подчинения и даруй нам благодать несоответствия нормам. Зеленой полоской радуги наполни наши сердца неукротимым состраданием ко всем живым существам.

Blue is for self-expression, the voice of spirit. Liberator Christ, you are our Voice, speaking out against all forms of oppression. Free us from apathy and grant us the grace of activism. With the blue stripe in the rainbow, motivate us to call for justice.

Spanish: El color celeste simboliza la auto-expresión, la voz del espíritu. Cristo Liberador, tú eres nuestra voz, denunciando toda forma de opresión. Líbranos de la apatía y concédenos la gracia del activismo. Con la franja azul del arco iris, motívanos a proclamar la justicia.

Chinese: 藍色代表自我表達，靈性之聲。解放者基督，你是我們的聲音，說出對一切壓迫形式的反對。將我們從冷漠中釋放，賜我們運動的恩典。藉彩虹旗藍色的條紋，上主激勵我們呼求正義。

French: Le bleu est pour l’expression de soi, la voix de l'esprit. Christ Libérateur, tu es notre voix, toi qui t’élèves contre toutes les formes d'oppression. Libère-nous de l'apathie et de accorde-nous la grâce de l'activisme. Avec la bande bleue dans l'arc en ciel, encourage-nous à nous battre pour la justice.

German: Blau steht für Selbst-darstellung, die Stimme des Geistes. Befreiender Christus, du bist unsere Stimme, die gegen alle Formen der Unterdrückung spricht. Befreie uns von Müdigkeit und schenke uns die Gnade des aktiv seins. Mit dem blauen Streifen des Regenbogens motiviere uns, nach Gerechtigkeit zu rufen.

Italian: Il blu è l’espressione di sé, la voce dello spirito. Cristo Liberatore, tu sei la nostra Voce, parla fortemente contro ogni forma di repressione. Liberaci dall’apatia e dacci la grazia dell’attivismo. Con la striscia blu dell’arcobaleno, motivaci a cercare la giustizia.

Japanese: 青は自己表現，精気の声．解放者である主キリストよ，あなたはわたしたちの声，あらゆる形の抑圧に対して抗議してくださいます．無力感からわたしたちを解放し，社会で行動できる恵みをお与えください．虹の青のもとに，正義を求めることができるよう，わたしたちを勇気づけてください．

Malay: Biru menggambarkan ekspresi diri, iaitu suara bagi roh. Kristus Sang Pembebas, engkaulah Suara kami dalam menentang segala bentuk penindasan. Bebaskanlah kami dari sikap acuh tak acuh dan berikanlah kami rahmat aktivisme. Demi jalur biru pada pelangi, berikanlah kami motivasi untuk menegakkan keadilan.

Polish: Zieleń to miłość, serce ducha. Niepokorny, wyjęty spod prawa Chryste, jesteś naszym Sercem, łamiącym zasady z miłości. W świecie poddanym obsesji czystości, dotykasz chorych i jesz z wyrzutkami. Uwolnij nas od konformizmu i obdarz łaską zbaczania. Przez zielony kolor tęczy napełnij nasze serca nieposkromionym współczuciem dla wszystkich istot.

Portuguese: Azul é a auto-expressão, a voz do espírito. Cristo Liberador, tu és nossa Voz, manifestando-se contra todas as formas de opressão. Liberte-nos da apatia e nos conceda a graça do ativismo. Com a faixa azul do arco-íris, motive-nos a clamar por Justiça.

Russian: Синий цвет символизирует самовыражение, голос духа. Освободитель Христос, Ты есть наш Голос, выступающий против всех форм угнетения. Освободи нас от апатии и даруй благодать активизма. Синий полоской радуги побуждай нас призывать к справедливости.

Violet is for vision, the wisdom of spirit. Interconnected Christ, you are our Wisdom, creating and sustaining the universe. Free us from isolation and grant us the grace of interdependence. With the violet stripe in the rainbow, connect us with others and with the whole creation.

Spanish: El color lila simboliza la visión, la sabiduría del espíritu. Cristo Rizomático, tú eres nuestra sabiduría, creando y sosteniendo el universo. Líbranos del aislamiento y concédenos la gracia de la interdependencia. Con la franja lila en el arco iris, conéctanos con los demás seres vivos y con la creación entera.

Chinese: 紫色代表異象，靈性之智。相互關聯的基督，你是我們的智慧，創造、供養整個宇宙。將我們從隔絕中釋放，賜我們彼此依賴的恩典。藉彩虹旗紫色的條紋，上主將我們與他者與全部受造連接。

French: Le violet est pour la vision, la sagesse de l'esprit. Christ interconnecté, tu es notre sagesse, tu crées et maintiens l'univers. Libère-nous de l'isolement et accorde-nous la grâce de l'interdépendance. Avec la bande violette dans l'arc en ciel, relie-nous aux autres et à la création tout entière.

German: Violett steht für die Vision, die Weisheit des Geistes. Christus, der du mit allem verbunden bist, du bist unsere Weisheit, du schaffst und erhältst das Universum. Befreie uns von Isolation und schenke uns die Gnade der Abhängigkeit von einander. Mit dem violetten Streifen des Regenbogens verbinde uns mit anderen und mit der der ganzen Schöpfung.

Italian: Il viola è per la visione. Cristo, profondamente connesso con tutte le cose, tu sei la nostra Sapienza e crei e mantieni l’universo. Liberaci dall’isolamento e dacci la grazia dell’interdipendenza. Con la striscia viola dell’arcobaleno, uniscici agli altri e all’intera creazione.

Japanese: 紫は真理を見る力，精気の知恵．つながり合ってくださる主キリストよ，万物を創造し，維持するあなたは，わたしたちの知恵です．わたしたちを孤立から解放してください．互いに支え合う恵みをお与えください．虹の紫のもとに，わたしたちと他の人々とをつなげてください．わたしたちを全被造界とつなげてください．

Malay: Ungu menggambarkan visi, iaitu hikmah bagi roh. Kristus Sang Penyatu, engkaulah Hikmah kami di dalam membina dan memulihara alam semesta. Bebaskanlah kami dari pengasingan dan berikanlah kami rahmat untuk saling memelihara antara satu dengan yang lain. Demi jalur ungu pada pelangi, satukanlah hati kami dengan yang lain dan segenap ciptaan Yang Maha Esa.

Polish: Fiolet to wizja, mądrość ducha. Chryste wzajemnych powiązań, jesteś naszą Mądrością, tworząca i podtrzymującą wszechświat. Uwolnij nas od izolacji i obdarz łaską współzależności. Przez fioletowy kolor tęczy połącz nas z innymi i z całym stworzeniem.

Portuguese: Violeta é a visão, a sabedoria do espírito. Cristo Interconectado, você é nossa Sabedoria, criando e sustentando o universo. Liberte-nos do isolamento e nos conceda a graça da interdependência. Com a faixa violeta do arco-íris, conecte-nos uns com os outros e com toda a criação.

Russian: Фиолетовый цвет символизирует проницательность, мудрость духа. Объединяющий Христос, Ты есть наша Мудрость, создавшая и поддерживающая вселенную. Освободи нас от изоляции и даруй нам благодать взаимозависимости. Фиолетовой полоской радуги объедини нас с другими и всем творением.

Rainbow colors come together to make one light, the crown of universal consciousness. Hybrid and All-Encompassing Christ, you are our Crown, both human and divine. Free us from rigid categories and grant us the grace of interwoven identities. With the rainbow, lead us beyond black-and-white thinking to experience the whole spectrum of life.

Spanish: Los colores del arco iris de unen para crear una sola luz, la corona de la conciencia universal. Cristo Híbrido y Omnipresente, tú eres nuestra corona, tanto humana como divina. Líbranos de las categorías rígidas y concédenos la gracia de vivir identidades entrelazadas. Con el arco iris, llévanos más allá del pensamiento binario en blanco y negro a fin de experimentar el espectro completo de la vida.

Chinese: 彩虹各色匯聚一束光，冠于宇宙意識之巔。混雜和包羅萬象的基督，你是人性和神聖的冠冕。將我們從僵死的分類中釋放，賜我們身份交織的恩典。藉著彩虹，上主帶領我們超越非黑即白的思維模式，體驗生命璀璨的光譜。

French: Les couleurs de l'arc-en-ciel composent ensemble la lumière, telle le chakra couronne de la conscience universelle. Christ métissé qui englobe tout, tu es notre Couronne, à la fois humaine et divine. Libère-nous des catégories rigides et accorde-nous la grâce des identités entrelacées. Avec l'arc en ciel, conduis-nous au-delà de la pensée en noir et blanc pour découvrir l'ensemble du spectre de la vie.

German: Regenbogenfarben kommen zusammen und ergeben ein Licht, die Krone des universellen Bewusstseins. Vermischter und alles umfassender Christus, du bist unsere Krone, menschlich und göttlich. Befreie uns von starren Kategorien und schenke und die Gnade von Identitäten, die miteinander verwoben sind. Mit dem Regenbogen führe uns über das Schwarz-weiß Denken hinaus und lass uns das ganze Spektrum des Lebens erfahren.

Italian: I colori dell’arcobaleno si uniscono per formare una sola luce, la corona della coscienza universale. Cristo ibrido e compassionevole, tu sei la nostra Corona, al tempo stesso umana e divina. Liberaci dalle categorie rigide e dacci la grazia di intrecciare insieme le nostre diverse identità. Con l’arcobaleno, portaci dal pensiero in bianco e nero all’esperienza dell’intero spettro della vita.

Japanese: 虹の六色は合わさり，ひとつの光を成し，万物の創造主の王冠となります．すべてを混ぜ合わせ，すべてを包み込む主キリストよ，人間にして神であるあなたは，わたしたちの王冠です．凝り固まったカテゴリーからわたしたちを解放し，ひとりひとりが多様である恵みをお与えください．虹のもとに，黒か白かを決めつける思考を超えて，多彩な命のすべての色を経験できるよう，導いてください．

Malay: Warna-warni pelangi berarak bersama membentuk satu cahaya, dan menjadi mahkota kesedaran sejagat. Kristus Sang Hibrid dan Hadirat Hakiki, engkaulah Mahkota kami, penuh keilahian dan kemanusiaan. Bebaskanlah kami dari pengkategorian yang tegar dan berikanlah kami rahmat identiti-identiti yang terjalin. Demi pelangi, pimpinlah kami keluar dari pemikiran hitam-putih dan menuju kepada pengalaman spektrum kehidupan yang menyeluruh.

Polish: Barwy tęczy jednoczą się, by stworzyć jedno światło, koronę uniwersalnej świadomości. Hybrydowy i Wszechogarniający Chryste, jesteś naszą Koroną, ludzką i boską. Uwolnij nas od ścisłych kategorii i obdarz łaską przeplatających się tożsamości. Prowadź nas przez tęczę poza myślenie czarno-białe ku pełnemu spektrum życia.

Portuguese: As cores do arco-íris se unem para formar uma só luz, a coroa da consciência universal. Cristo Híbrido e Abrangente, tu és nossa Coroa, ao mesmo tempo humano e divino. Liberte-nos de categorias rígidas e nos conceda a graça das identidades fluidas. Com o arco-íris, guie-nos para além do pensamento em preto e branco a fim de que experimentemos todo o espectro da vida.

Russian: Радуга объединяет спектр цветов творить свет, венец универсального сознания. Разнородный и всеохватывающий Христос, Ты есть наш Венец, человеческий и божественный. Освободи нас от жестких категорий и даруй благодать переплетающихся идентичностей. Радугой веди нас за пределы черно-белого мышления к опыту всего спектра жизни.

Rainbow Christ, you light up the world. You make rainbows as a promise to support all life on earth. In the rainbow space, we can see all the hidden connections between sexualities, genders and races. Like the rainbow, may we embody all the colors of the world! Amen.

Spanish: Cristo del Arco Iris, tú iluminas al mundo. Tú creas los arco iris como una promesa de sustentar toda la vida sobre la tierra. En el espacio del arco iris, podemos ver todas las conexiones ocultas entre sexualidades, géneros y razas. Como en el arco iris, concédenos que podamos encarnar todos los colores del mundo. Amen.

Chinese: 彩虹基督，你點亮世界。你讓彩虹成為支援地上所有生命的應許。在彩虹空間中，我們看到性/別、種族間隱蔽的關聯。願我們像彩虹一樣，擁抱世上所有的色彩！阿門。

French: Christ Arc-en-Ciel, tu illumines le monde. Des arcs-en-ciel, tu fais comme une promesse de soutenir toute vie sur terre. Dans l'espace arc-en-ciel, nous pouvons voir tous les liens cachés entre les sexualités, les genres et les races. Comme l'arc-en-ciel, donne-nous d’incarner toutes les couleurs du monde! Amen.

German: Regenbogen-Christus, du erhellst die Welt. Du machst Regenbögen als Versprechen, alles Leben auf Erden zu unterstützen. Im Regenbogen-Raum können wir all die verborgenen Beziehungen von Sexualitäten, Geschlechter und Rassen sehen. Wie der Regenbogen mögen auch wir alle Farben in der der Welt verkörpern. Amen.

Italian: Cristo arcobaleno, tu illumini il mondo. Tu crei gli arcobaleni come promessa di aiutare la vita sulla terra. Nello spazio dell’arcobaleno possiamo vedere tutte le connessioni nascoste tra sessualità, generi e razze. Come l’arcobaleno, fa’ che possiamo incarnare tutti i colori del mondo! Amen.

Japanese: 虹色の主キリストよ，あなたは，万物を照らし，虹を，地球の全生命を支える約束の徴になさいます．虹色の空間のなかで，さまざまなセクシュアリティ，ジェンダー，人種の間の隠されたつながりが見えてきます．虹のように，わたしたちが世のすべての色を表すことができますように！ アーメン．

Malay: Kristus Sang Pelangi, engkau menerangi dunia. Engkau menjadikan pelangi sebagai janji untuk memelihara seluruh kehidupan di atas bumi. Di balik warna-warni pelangi, kami dapat melihat segala jalinan misteri di antara seksualiti, jantina, dan bangsa. Seperti pelangi, biarlah kami menghidupi seluruh warna-warni dunia, iaitu anugerah dari Yang Maha Esa! Amin.

Polish: Tęczowy Chryste, Ty oświecasz świat i tworzysz tęcze jako obietnice wsparcia wszelkiego życia na ziemi. W tęczowej przestrzeni możemy dojrzeć wszystkie te ukryte połączenia między seksualnościami, płciami i rasami. Obyśmy, niczym tęcza, ucieleśniali wszystkie barwy świata! Amen.

Portuguese: Cristo Arco-íris, você ilumina todo o mundo. Você faz arco-íris como uma promessa de apoiar toda a vida na Terra. Nele, podemos enxergar todas as conexões ocultas entre sexualidades, gêneros e raças. Como o arco-íris, que encarnemos todas as cores do mundo! Amém.

Russian: Радужный Христос, Ты освещаешь мир. Ты создаешь радугу как обещание поддержки всей жизни на земле. В радужном пространстве мы можем видеть все скрытые связи между сексуальностями, гендерами и расами. Подобно радуге, сделай возможным, чтоб мы объединили все цвета мира. Аминь.

Detail from “Christ and the Two Marys” by William Holman Hunt (Wikimedia Commons)

Many thanks to all the volunteer translators!

Spanish: Translated by Hugo Córdova Quero. Traducido por Hugo Córdova Quero.

Chinese: Translated by Iris Xie, Queer Theology Academy. 此文由性神學社成員，謝彩虹翻譯.
(The Chinese prayer was used at the opening worship of Queer Theology Academy Summer Workshop in Hong Kong in 2014.)

French: Translated by Zabulon in collaboration with Meneldid Palantir Talmayar. Traduit par Zabulon Zabulon avec la collaboration de Meneldid Palantir Talmayar.

German: Translated by Axel Schwaigert, Metropolitan Community Church of Stuttgart. Übersetzt von Axel Schwaigert, MCC Gemeinde Stuttgart.

Italian: Freely translated by Silvia Lanzi, Progetto Gionata. Liberamente tradotto da Silvia Lanzi, Progetto Gionata.

Japanese: Translated by LGBT Catholic Japan. LGBT カトリック・ジャパンが翻訳しました。

Malay: Translated by Anak Borneo. Diterjemahkan oleh Anak Borneo.

Polish: Translated by Łukasz Liniewicz and Jarek Kubacki. Przetłumaczone przez Łukasz Liniewicz i Jarek Kubacki.

Portuguese: Translated by Deco Ribeiro. Traduzido por Deco Ribeiro.

Russian: Translated by Elena Preobrazhenskaya (Moscow, Russia) and the brotherhood of Orthodox Catholic Monastery of Our Lady Joy of All Who Sorrow (Oxford, Michigan). Перевод Елены Преображенской (Москва, Россия) и братства Cкорбященской Пустыни (Оксфорд, Мичиган).

Image credit: “Stained-glass Rainbow Flag with Cross (Baner enfys gwydr lliw gyda Chroes)” by Andrew Craig Williams

 Patrick Cheng and Kittredge Cherry
wrote the Rainbow Christ Prayer

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Related links:

Rainbow Christ Prayer: LGBT flag reveals the queer Christ (original prayer in English)

Rainbow Christ Prayer goes nationwide at churches, schools and events

Rainbow Christ Prayer at Huffington Post

Rainbow Christ Prayer short version

Rethinking Sin and Grace for LGBT People by Patrick Cheng

Welcome the New Year with Bridge of Light by Kittredge Cherry

Rainbow flag (Wikipedia)

Patrick Cheng's website and Twitter feed

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Bible and homosexuality:

The Bible and Gays: Is it a sin to be gay? Did Jesus condemn homosexuality? by Rev. Durrrell Watkins

Metropolitan Community Churches theological resources

The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality by Matthew Vines (with translations in 10 langauges)

Homosexuality and the Bible at GayChurch.org

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This post is part of the LGBTQ Calendar series by Kittredge Cherry. The series celebrates religious and spiritual holidays, events in LGBTQ history, holy days, feast days, festivals, anniversaries, liturgical seasons and other occasions of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of faith and our allies.

Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.

Day of Silence Prayer: Stop bullying God's LGBTQ youth

A prayer by Jesus in Love founder Kittredge Cherry is one of the few religious voices supporting Day of Silence, a national student-led protest of anti-LGBT bullying. It happens tomorrow on Friday, April 17.

Christianity has been used to justify the harassment that Day of Silence seeks to prevent. The conservative Christian group Focus on the Family even organized an annual event in opposition to Day of Silence. Day of Dialogue, which is happening today (April 14) encourages students to speak up about “God's design for sexuality.”


For a new version of this article, click this link to Qspirit.net:
Day of Silence Prayer: Stop bullying God's LGBTQ youth

Once again religious faith gets wrongly equated with discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender expression. The Rainbow Day of Silence prayer gives voice to the deeper truth that LGBTQ people are part of God’s good creation.

Day of Silence Prayer (Twitter version)

by Kittredge Cherry

Silence is memory
Remembering those
Driven to suicide by bullies

Silence is action
Calling attention to those who are silenced
When bigotry is disguised as humor

Silence is solidarity
Students, family, teachers, friends
Who stand with the queer and questioning

Silence is pride, LGBTQ pride
Ignoring bullies,
Claiming our right to be
Part of God’s rainbow.

Silence is prayer
When any child is bullied,
Christ is bullied.
Listen in the silence
For God.

Day of Silence Prayer (long version)

by Kittredge Cherry

Silence is memory....
Remembering those who died young,
Driven to suicide by bullying
Or killed
Because of who they loved
Because of the way God created them
Because they were called
Gay, lesbian, bi, trans, queer, sodomite…
Remembering Tyler Clementi, Leelah Alcorn, Brandon Teena, Matthew Shepard, Gwen Araujo, Haylee Fentress, Paige Moravetz, and many, many more.

Silence is action….
Calling attention to how people are silenced
When bigotry is disguised as humor,
When prejudice turns into threats
And even violence.

Silence is solidarity…
Students, family, teachers, friends
Who care enough
To share the stigma,
To stand with the queer and questioning
Stopping hate with compassion.

Silence is pride, LGBTQ pride…
Not letting the bullies win.
Claiming our right to be.
With dignity
Part of God’s rainbow.

Silence is prayer…
For Mary’s child.
Whenever any child is bullied,
Christ is bullied.
Whenever any child is called names,
Christ is called names.
Mary’s child said,
“Whatever you do to the least of these,
you do to me.”
With sighs too deep for words,
Listening in the silence
For the still small voice of God.
Amen.

Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The first Day of Silence was organized at the University of Virginia in response to a class assignment on non-violent protest. More than 8,000 schools have participated in the event, which is held every year in April.

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Related links:

Día del Silencio: Day of Silence Prayer in Spanish

Dia do Silêncio: Day of Silence Prayer in Portuguese (Temple de Antinoo Brasil)

Dayofsilence.org (official website)

Dayofdialogue.com (official website)

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This post is part of the LGBTQ Calendar series by Kittredge Cherry. The series celebrates religious and spiritual holidays, events in LGBTQ history, holy days, feast days, festivals, anniversaries, liturgical seasons and other occasions of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of faith and our allies.

Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.

Ash Wednesday: Queer martyrs rise from the ashes

For a new version of this article, click this link to Qspirit.net:
Ash Wednesday: Queer martyrs executed for homosexuality rise from the ashes

Today on Ash Wednesday queer martyrs rise from the ashes as we recall the thousands who were executed for homosexuality throughout history.

This is not just a historical issue. The death penalty for homosexuality continues today in 10 countries (Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and United Arab Emirates).

Christians traditionally put ashes on their foreheads as a sign of repentance on Ash Wednesday. It is an appropriate time to reflect on the sins of the church and state against queer people, including the burning of “sodomites” and thousands of executions for homosexuality over the past 800 years.

Some of the executions for sodomy were recorded by artists, either long ago or in recent times. This post features images, both new and historical, to remember and honor those whose lives were desecrated and cut short.

The whole sad history of church- or state-sanctioned executions of queer people stretches from the 13th century almost to the present. For the first 1,000 years of church history, Christianity was relatively tolerant of homoerotic relationships.

Then came campaigns of terror that started to use the terms “heresy” and “sodomy” interchangeably.  Eventually hostility began to be directed at same-sex erotic behavior in particular. Terence Weldon of Queering the Church discusses the fateful period when the atrocities began in a well researched overview titled “Lest We Forget: The Ashes of Our Martyrs”:

In 1120, the Church Council of Nablus specified burning at the stake for homosexual acts. Although this penalty may not immediately have been applied, other harsh condemnations followed rapidly. In 1212, the death penalty for sodomy was specified in in France. Before long the execution of supposed “sodomites”, often by burning at the stake, but also by other harsh means, had become regular practice in many areas.

The church contributed to the deaths of thousands for homosexuality over the next 700 years. Witch burning occurred in the same period and claimed the lives of countless lesbian women whose non-conformity was condemned as witchcraft. (Current events in Uganda and elsewhere prove that some are STILL using Christianity to justify the death penalty for homosexuality up to the present day.) As Weldon concludes:

Obviously, the Catholic Church cannot be held directly responsible for the judicial sentences handed down by secular authorities in Protestant countries. It can, however, be held responsible for its part in fanning the flames of bigotry and hatred in the early part of the persecution, using the cloak of religion to provide cover for what was in reality based not on Scripture or the teaching of the early Church, but on simple intolerance and greed.

It is important as gay men, lesbians and transgendered that we remember the examples of the many who have in earlier times been honoured by the Church as saints or martyrs for the faith. It is also important that we remember the example of the many thousands who have been martyred by the churches – Catholic and other.

Sodomy is often considered a male issue, but the facts of history make clear that queer women were persecuted under sodomy laws too. The meaning of sodomy has changed a lot over the centuries. The “sin of Sodom” in the Bible was described as arrogance and failure to care for travelers and the poor.

“Catharina Margaretha Linck, executed for sodomy in Halberstadt in 1721” by Elke R. Steiner. Steiner’s work is based on Angela Steidele’s book "In Männerkleidern. Das verwegene Leben der Catharina Margaretha Linck alias Anastasius Lagrantinus Rosenstengel, hingerichtet 1721." Biographie und Dokumentation. Cologne: Böhlau, 2004. ("In Men's Clothes: The Daring Life of Catharina Margaretha Linck alias Anastasius Rosenstengel, Executed 1721.")

German artist Elke R. Steiner illustrates the last known execution for lesbianism in Europe. Born in 1694, Catharina Margaretha Linck lived most of her life as a man under the name Anastasius. She was beheaded for sodomy on Nov. 8, 1721 in Halberstadt in present-day Germany. Linck worked at various times as a soldier, textile worker and a wandering prophet with the Pietists. She married a woman in 1717. Her mother-in-law reported her to authorities, who convicted her of sodomy with a "lifeless instrument," wearing men's clothes and multiple baptisms. The subject is grim, but Steiner adds an empowering statement: “But even were I to be done away with, those who are like me would remain.”

“Catharina aka Anastasius Linck” by Ria Brodell

Genderqueer Boston artist Ria Brodell portrays Linck and several other historical women who were killed for sodomy in her “Butch Heroes” series. They include Katherina Hetzeldorfer of Germany, drowned in 1477 for female sodomy, and Lisbetha Olsdotter aka Mats Ersson of Sweden, who was decapitated in 1679 for cross-dressing and other crimes.

“The Shameful End of Bishop Atherton and his Proctor John Childe,” hanged for sodomy in 1641 in Dublin (Wikimedia Commons)

John Atherton, Anglican bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and his lover John Childe were hanged for “buggery” in 1640 in Dublin, Ireland. The bishop was executed under a law that he helped to institute! The picture comes from an anonymous 1641 booklet titled “The Shameful End of Bishop Atherton and his Proctor John Childe.” The title tries to shame and blame the victims, but the shame belongs to the church and society who killed them for who and how they loved.

Balboa executing two-spirit Native Americans for homosexuality in 1513 in Panama -- engraving by Théodore De Bry, 1594 (Wikimedia Commons).  

The Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa found homosexual activity among the Native American chiefs at Quarqua in Panama. He ordered 40 of these two-spirited people thrown to his war dogs to be torn apart and eaten alive to stop the “stinking abomination.” Executions for homosexuality continued during the “Mexican Inquisition,” an extension of the Spanish Inquisition into the New World. In one of the most notorious examples, 14 men were executed by public burning on Nov. 6, 1658 in Mexico City.

The knight of Hohenberg and his servant, accused of sodomy, were executed by burning in Zürich in 1482. (Wikimedia Commons)

The knight of Hohenberg and his servant, accused sodomites, were executed by burning before the walls of Zurich, Switzerland in 1482. Source: Diebold Schilling, Chronik der Burgunderkriege, Schweizer Bilderchronik, Band 3, um 1483 (Zürich, Zentralbibliothek)

Execution of sodomites in Ghent in 1578 -- drawing by Franz Hogenberg (Wikimedia Commons)

Five Catholic monks were burned to death for homosexuality on June 28, 1578, in Ghent, Belguim.

"Timely Punishment..." shows Dutch massacre of sodomites in Amsterdam in 1730-31 (Wikimedia Commons)

A total of 96 gay men were executed for sodomy in the Netherlands years 1730-31.

More recent examples include the Holocaust or "homocaust" of persecution by the Nazis, who sent an estimated 5,000 to 60,000 to concentration camps for homosexuality. Executions on homosexuality charges in Iran continued to make news multiple times since 2011.

Many more die in attacks fueled by religion-based hate, including those killed in the arson fire at the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans.

Milder forms of anti-LGBT persecution continue in the church. Now it is common to freeze LGBT people out of church leadership positions. Gay pastor and author Chris Glaser writes about the exclusion from clergy roles as a “fast imposed by others” in the following prayer based on the practice of fasting during Lent, the season of individual and collective repentance and reflection between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

One: Jesus,
     our fast has been imposed by others,
     our wilderness sojourn their choice more than ours.
Many: Our fast from the sacraments,
     our fast from ordination:
     our only choice was honesty.
One: With the scapegoats of the ancient Hebrews,
     sexual sins of generations
     have been heaped upon our backs,
     and we have been sent away,
     excommunicated, into the wilderness to die.
Many: Yet we choose life,
     even in our deprivation
One: Jesus, lead us to discern our call
     parallel to your own:
     rebelling against the boundaries,
     questioning the self-righteous authorities,
     breaking the Sabbath law
     to bring healing.


This prayer comes from “Rite for Lent” by Chris Glaser, published in Equal Rites: Lesbian and Gay Worship, Ceremonies, and Celebrations. Glaser spent 30 years struggling with the Presbyterian Church for the right to ordination as an openly gay man before he was ordained to the ministry in Metropolitan Community Churches in 2005. He writes progressive Christian reflections at chrisglaser.blogspot.com.

“Faggots We May Be,” a 2015 poem by Georgia poet S. Alan Fann, makes connections between gay men burned to death, global warming and the Rainbow Christ.

It is horrifying to remember the "burning times," especially for those LGBT people who consider themselves part of the Christian tradition. Let us rise from the ashes with these verses from the Bible:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
[Psalm 51: 10, 17]

Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a you to humble yourself?
Is it to bow down your head like a rush,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under you?
Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to God?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily.
[Isaiah 58:5-8]

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Top image credit: Dutch massacre of sodomites, detail (Wikimedia Commons)
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Related links:

“Burned for sodomy” (Queering the Church)

Lest We Forget: The Ashes of Our Martyrs (Queering the Church)

The blood-soaked thread (Wild Reed)

List of people executed for homosexuality (Wikipedia)

LGBT Victims (Gay History Wiki)

List of unlawfully killed transgender people (Wikipedia)

Victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes (Wikipedia)

“Victims of Hate” gallery on Facebook

Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death (Washington Post, Feb. 24, 2014)

Significant acts of violence against LGBT people (Wikipedia)

BURN BABY BURN: A Knight, a Squire, a Bishop, a Steward, Five RC Monks and Millions of murders initiated by bigots at Church! (Eruptions at the Foot of the Volcano Blog)

The Gay Holocaust (Matt and Andrej Koymasky)

Catharina Margaretha Linck, Executed for Sodomy (Queering the Church)

A History of Homophobia, 3 The Later Roman Empire & The Early Middle Ages (Rictor Norton)

A History of Homophobia, 4 Gay Heretics and Witches" (Rictor Norton)

Homosexuality in Eighteenth-Century England: A Sourcebook (Rictor Norton, editor)

“Pilloried” - a poem by Andrew Craig Williams

Queering All Saints and All Souls, Celebrating the Queer Body of Christ by Adam Ackley (Huff Post) (litany also suitable for Ash Wednesday)

Blessing the Dust: A Blessing for Ash Wednesday by Jan Richardson

Iran's New Gay Executions (Daily Beast, 8/12/2014)
"Two men, Abdullah Ghavami Chahzanjiru and Salman Ghanbari Chahzanjiri, were hanged in southern Iran on August 6, possibly for consensual sodomy..."

Four Iranian men due to be hanged for sodomy (Pink News, 5/12/2012)
"Iran court sentenced four men… to death by hanging for sodomy… named ‘Saadat Arefi’, ‘Vahid Akbari’, ‘Javid Akbari’ and ‘Houshmand Akbari.’"

Iran executes three men on homosexuality charges (guardian.com 9/7/2011)

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: We all wear the triangle (Jesus in Love)

Ex-gay movement as genocide (Jesus in Love)

Book: Homosexuality and Civilization by Louis Crompton
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This post is part of the LGBTQ Calendar series by Kittredge Cherry. The series celebrates religious and spiritual holidays, events in LGBTQ history, holy days, feast days, festivals, anniversaries, liturgical seasons and other occasions of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of faith and our allies.

Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.