The White House has invited numerous gay activists, who think the Church is on the wrong track, to greet Pope Francis at the White House this week. (See full story here.) Miss Manners would have something to say about that. One could imagine the Holy Father’s invitation...

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

Dear Francis:

I wanted to give you a quick heads-up on how the plans for your reception are coming together. Rather than inviting the usual suspects to tell you how much they love you — you’ll get plenty of that in Philly no doubt — I thought it would be helpful to invite some good people of serious faith, some from your own flock, who think modern-day Catholicism could use some tweaking. Wrong Side of History, Welcome to the 21st Century and all that. I’m deeply impressed by these people and I think you will be too. Allow me to give you a thumbnail on each.

Vivian Taylor is a bright young leader in the transgender community and terribly delightful. God gave him boy parts, but a girl’s heart. I asked her to pull some of her best friends together from the LGBTQQIAA community to join us. Vivian got right on it and assembled a first-class line-up of those who are thinking broadly about the horizons of the Christian faith, hence a strategic learning opportunity for you and your team.

Vivian has lined up the following…

Nicole Santamaria is an El Salvadorian, an intersex woman, a community organizer (like me back in the day) for trans-rights, as well as a good Catholic. She will also be proudly attending your World Meeting of Families with the Equally Blessed contingent from your flock. Unfortunately they will not be fully welcomed because your Archbishop Charles Chaput refused to allow these good people to fully participate. I was hoping you might have a word with him about that.

Marcia Garber is one of your more serious, observant Catholic and a transgender activist. Marcia and her husband find encouragement and solace in a great Catholic support group: Dignity/Boston. Unfortunately, because of current Church doctrine, this group of compassionate and open-minded Catholics is forced to meet at an Episcopal church.  I’m sure Marcia will be open to share with you what a missed opportunity this is for your work.

Mateo Williamson is a vibrant young Catholic, a university student and dogged worker for Catholics for Marriage Equality, as well as a transgender male.

Reverend Dr. Cameron Partridge is a man of great distinction in our nation as the first transgender clergy to preach at our nation’s beautiful National Cathedral here in Washington, DC. As an Episcopalian, he found a loving and affirming home in that fellowship, something in short supply today, which I think meetings like we are planning here can hopefully change.

As you might know, trans-rights are the next frontier in the struggle for full LGBT equality, so I’ve tilted this group in that direction by design.

Aaron Ledesma is a young twenty-something force of nature — and blogger at The Gay Catholic — whom I personally took the liberty of inviting. I know that meeting folks like Aaron who are bringing fresh, youthful winds into your Church will add an important addition to the room.

Saving the best and most exciting two for last:

The great, brave Bishop Gene Robinson, who you might know was the first openly gay Bishop to be ordained in the Episcopal Church, cleared his schedule to be with us. I think of him as the gay faith community’s Rosa Parks. I like Gene a great deal and I know you will too.

Finally, Sister Simone Campbell  takes an enlightened, broad view on abortion and is big tornado of endless of energy in a small package. Her dogged “nuns on the bus” have been invaluable to my various legislative, not to mention, election goals. She is one of the guiding lights on where you Catholics should be going in the 21st Century.

Being a man of great compassion and tender heart, a welcome relief from your previous two peers, I trust you will find that your time with these unique thinkers and trailblazers in the modern world will be exciting as well as enlightening. I appreciate that these friends might hold positions in direct opposition to official and historic Christian teaching, but I always find that we don’t grow unless we are stretched and challenged. That is why I like to spend much time with my good Republican friends. I am honored to provide you with this invaluable, broadening experience.

I have no doubt that you and your 1.2 billion members around the world will look back upon on this day in the coming decades — if not centuries and millennia — and thank God (literally!) that it was on this day, September 23, 2015, that your great Church of Saints Peter and Paul made perhaps its most consequential and enlightened advances for both human dignity and sexual equality in its long history. My joy at such a turn will be all the credit or praise I need.

See you soon. I am…

Respectfully yours,

Barack

P.S. Joe says “hi!”