Two gay women stand in front of a statue of Mary at a convent in Luedinghausen people!” my mother shouts to us every Sunday morning My sleep is not essential because the enthusiasm I wake up with is astounding the longer my prayers and the more I realize the importance of the foundation that my family and church have given me: a belief system with answers to all questions man hasn’t answered This same belief system has shaped the calm person I am I’m far from alone. The Roman Catholic Church is one of the largest faiths on the planet — and growing. The faith claims more than 1.3 billion followers worldwide religion is the foundation of their identity; however religion prevents them from embracing their identity the further their authentic selves are from the doctrines of their founding religion While I’m not gay, for others, like Matthew LaBanca being gay means having to choose between Catholicism and one’s identity about him as an LGBTQI+ member losing his job as music director in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn parish the moment he married his boyfriend attests to the inexistence of a middle ground he could not wed his boyfriend in the Catholic Church which had witnessed his best and worst moments for 46 years have to stick to the core principle and commandments of the Catholic faith — “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” — then why do individuals not accept everyone as they are If you would love to be fired from your job because of your identity I am Joseph — a name with a religious legacy that my great-grandfather trusted me to inherit I have attended staunch Catholic schools in the formative and adolescent years of my life I have assumed leadership roles that require me to go to the Basilica every morning to teach my peers how to perform Mass correctly These positions often meant that I addressed questions about religion and why things are done differently in the Catholic Church Although I rarely had solid answers — if anything I had even more questions — one thing I knew for sure was that in Genesis 19 God destroyed Sodom and Gomora for their grave sins which implied that God opposed homosexuality But I believe that only God can make a final judgment on who lives or dies; therefore I reject the prejudices and the othering of the LGBTQI+ community by the Catholic Church pray and speak out about my belief that the Church should do so as well “Why not just leave the Church and find one that is more open and liberal?” My response is that just as it takes a Ugandan to effect change in Uganda straight Catholic to dismantle the prejudices against the LGBTQI+ community in the Catholic Church no human is perfect; the Church leaders are also human Thinking of them as flawless humans is a misleading mindset You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God but merely human concerns.” From this Bible verse indicating that the Church heads don’t have the right to judge what’s good or bad because they are not perfect beings themselves The role of the Church leaders is to provide a safe space for everyone to grow and a belief system with answers to questions man hasn’t answered I believe that denying the existence of gay people is questioning God’s choice of creating a very diverse world Everyone should be celebrated regardless of their sexuality It is my prayer that gay Catholics should keep their jobs that the Catholic Church should welcome everyone and that only God should judge what is right and wrong Joseph Katusabe is a citizen of Uganda and a second-year student at the African Leadership Academy His favorite subjects at school are Biology and Music He is a former director of the school choir He dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon who will provide access to quality health care to all Ugandans and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" What We Do Who We Are News Decoder Updates Contact Us © News Decoder 2025. All rights reserved. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Editorial Policy News Decoder is the educational services unit of Nouvelles-Découvertes Webmaster Joy Matéo – Digit’all Communication BERLIN (AP) — More than 120 employees of the Catholic Church in Germany publicly outed themselves as queer on Monday saying they want to “live openly without fear” in the church and pushing demands for it to allow the blessing of same-sex couples and change its labor rules religion teachers and administrative employees — identified themselves as backers of the initiative titled “#OutInChurch — For a church without fear.” the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said Catholic clergy cannot bless same-sex unions because God “cannot bless sin.” The document pleased conservatives and disheartened advocates for LGBT Catholics around the globe which has seen discussion on hot-button issues such as the church’s teaching on homosexuality as part of a formal process of debate and reform Bernd Moenkebuescher, a pastor from western Germany who helped initiate blessings for same-sex couples last year told the dpa news agency that the participants in the new initiative were inspired by a public coming-out by 185 actors in Germany last year The initiative is calling for all LGBTIQ who work for the church to join up and appealing to bishops to give its manifesto public support It assails the church’s “discrimination” against same-sex relationships and argues the church should make clear “that LGBTIQ+ people The initiative especially calls on church officials to allow queer people to come out at work if they’re working for a Catholic institution without having to fear that their work contracts will be canceled to change the church’s labor law in such a way that a life in accordance with one’s own sexual orientation and gender identity does not lead to exclusion from tasks and offices nor to dismissal,” supporters of the initiative wrote The German Bishops’ Conference welcomed the initiative “I would like to welcome this on behalf of the German Bishops’ Conference as a sign that we are working to ensure that such a climate of freedom from fear must prevail and arise in our church,” Aachen Bishop Helmut Dieser said on the sidelines of consultations of the Bishops’ Conference Permanent Council in Würzburg devalued or criminalized because of their sexual orientation or gender identity “We have an image of man that tells us that the person is unconditionally loved by God,” Dieser added Password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important America’s voice is in the conversation about the church and the world. We can't do it without you—America Media relies on generous support from our readers. Please visit our membership page to learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation If you’re already a subscriber or donor, thank you! If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, you’ll have unlimited access to the website. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions Russia: Polish design in Mori South Africa: New NuMetro UK: Kingston boutique Reel in Kirby Holland: Kinepolis Den Bosch Germany: Berlin cinema revival Lüdinghausen 2019 France: La Couronne USA: Clark Cinema 10 Iran: Tehran multiplex Cayman: Regal goes VIP Qatar: Vox opens in Doha Re-furb/re-open: Sunshine cinema buyer no listing for Plymouth’s Reel Finally: Newark’s last porn cinema – an appreciation Sydney’s super groovy Golden Age Cinema & Bar is the CJ + Vista’s Cinema of the Month Russia – Polish design for this Russian cinema. The Mori Cinema-Imax Kuntsevo Park was designed by Robert Majkut Design and it looks stunning. Eurobuild – 10 April 2017 South Africa – NuMetro has opened its new multiplex at at Ballot Junction (KwaZulu Natal), featuring the first PLF Xtreme cinema for the region, as well as two VIP screens. The Xtreme screen has 337 semi-recliners, RealD’s new PWSgiant white screen, and a 4K ultra light projector and Dolby Atmos sound. Gourmet popcorn is served at Poptopia. IOL – 7 April 2017 UK – The regeneration of Eden Walk in the town centre of London’s suburb Kingston includes plans for a boutique cinema. It will be located next to the Sky Restaurant, but no word on the operator. GetSurrey – 31 March 2017 UK – Plans for a GBP £20 million leisure centre in Grimsby include a proposal for a nine-screen cinema. Freshney Place Riverbed is still on the drawing board and no operator has been selected or time plan announced. Grimsby Telegraph – 31 March 2017 UK – Aberdeen could be getting a new seven-screen cinema under lans for the Bon Accord and St Nicholas shopping centres. Replacing the bowling hall the 28,000 sq ft cinema would seat 800 people and cost GBP £2.2 million. Plans have been gestating for several years but hope is for work to start soon. Evening Express – 30 March 2017 UK – Cinema plans have been submitted for Glasgow’s Princes Square. A 250-seat three-screen boutique cinema would be located in the former Dwell furniture store. Everyman is the preferred operator, for whom this would be their first cinema in Scotland. Evening Times – 4 April 2017 UK – More uncertainty over Queensgate cinema operator in Peterborough, as the mall operators have started talks with two other chain than the original partner Odeon. Odeon’s change of ownership, as AMC acquired it, is said to have halted signing the deal at the last moment. Peterborough Today – 6 April 2017 UK – Dundee Wellgate cinema plans have been revealed, with The Light originally set to open a 900-seat cinema by 2017, though this has now been pushed back to 2019 “at the earliest.” The original plans were disrupted by the the collapse of BHS last year. The Courier – 7 April 2017 UK – Reel Cinema is set to anchor a leisure scheme in Kirby town centre. Set to open in 2018 the six-screen cinema is one of four that Reel plans to bring to the North West of England in the next few years. Insider Media Limited – 11 April 2017 Germany – Delays for the new multiplex in Meiningen, which was due to have opened this summer. The €6 million seven-screen 800-seat Cineplex cinema by the Werner Rusch family encounter unexpected water from the ground during the construction phase. Augsburger Allgemeine (DE) – 6 April 2017 Germany – Lüdinghausen is set to get a new cinema by autumn 2019 at the latest. The proposal has been passed by the local government but no operator selected. Ruhrnachrichten (DE) – 10 April 2017 France – La Couronne (The Crown) cinema has opened in La Roche-Bernard. The two-screen cinema has 160 and 52 seats. The cinema will be run largely by volunteers. Ouest France (FR) – 4 April 2017 USA (TN) – Clark Cinema 10 opening is set for April, between 14th and 21st. “The state-of the-art 10-screen multiplex will feature electric recliners, three 3-D auditoriums, an expanded concession menu, all digital projectors, stereo surround sound and sound-proof walls.” The Enterprise Ledger – 22 March 2017 Iran – The latest multiplex has opened in northern Tehran in the Arg Center shopping mall near Tajrish Square.The 305-seat multiplex was financed by Hedayat Film, which eight more screens set to open in the complex. Tehran Times – 17 March 2017 Qatar -Al-Futtaim’s Doha Festival City has just opened. As well as 550 retail units the mall has a 14-screen Vox cinema, with 4D seating. Arabian Business – 5 April 2017 USA (NY) – A potential buyer for Manhattan’s Lower Eastside’s Sunshine Cinema. NY Curbed – 21 March 2017 USA (TN) – Malco Wolfchase Galleria Cinema 8 is set to re-open on 13 April, following repairs and renovations. Changes include “new seats, a redesigned lobby, an enhanced sound system and an improved concessions menu with healthier snacks, beer and wine.” Commercial Appeal – 28 March 2017 France – € 4.2 million will be spent to refurbish Le Palace Épernay cinema. Initially the work was to make the cinema wheelchair and access friendly, but the owners decided for a complete overhaul. L’Union (FR) – 5 April 2017 Korea – Refurbishment has been completed of the Lotte Cinema Daeyoung in Busan. The six-screen 987-seat cinema first opened in 1957 and underwent multiplexing in 1999. Metro Seoul – 1 April 2017 UK – Art-deco cinema in London’s Hackney could re-open after 33 years. “Auro Foxcroft, the man behind Shoreditch spot Village Underground, wants to dust off the seats of the old ABC and Savoy cinema.” The last film shown there was Al Pacino’s “Scarface”. Hackney Gazette – 6 April 2017 Australia – Pix Theatre is closing. The community cinema in Geelong West started life as a public hall in the 1950s. Bay 93.9 – 11 April 2017 UK – No listing for Plymouth’s Reel cinema. The Heralad – 10 April 2017 USA (NY) – Catskills’ Fairview Plaza Cinema 3 has closed for good. The last film show was fittingly “The Last Picture Show”. The Daily Mail – 20 March 2017 USA (NJ) – Revisiting Newark’s last active porn theatre. Like so many other cinemas, it functions primarily as a social space. And it has an amazing long history stretching back to before the war. WordPress – 18 September 2017 Celluloid Junkie is the leading online resource dedicated to the global film and cinema business Join a growing community of film and cinema industry professionals from around the world who rely on CJ to provide the latest news and research on the motion picture industry Scars On Broadway will release their debut album in July System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan have launched a new band together named Scars On Broadway With System Of A Down currently on hiatus, Scars On Broadway will release their debut self-titled album on July 29 The 14-song album was produced by Malakian Songs set for the album include ‘World Long Gone’ ‘Babylon’ and ‘Cute Machines’ The band recently played live at the Coachella festival They are set to perform at the Rock En Seine festival in Paris on August 29 and at the Area4 Festival in Lüdinghausen on August 31 You can listen to the band now on the Myspace.com/scarsonbroadway The world’s defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what’s new and what’s next since 1952 The area of the oil crop has grown strongly despite the war The digital reconnaissance of the area brings it to light The reproduction of full articles - even if the source is mentioned - is only permitted with written consent from feedmagazine No responsibility or liability is assumed for the content of offers that can be accessed via links and do not originate from Deutschen Fachverlag.