James Martin appears alongside blasphemous images of the Virgin Mary while attending an 'LGBT Catholic' event
Prominent pro-LGBT Jesuit Father James Martin recently appeared as part of an “LGBTQ Catholic” event that featured blasphemous images of Our Lady draped in pro-LGBT flags.
On June 30, Martin took to social media to praise the organizers of the recent Imago Dei conference held in Dayton, Ohio, describing himself as “a Marianist assembly celebrating LGBTQ+ ministry.”
"Dear Friends: I was happy to spend the last few days at the Imago Dei LGBTQ Ministry Conference at the Bergamo Retreat Center near Dayton, Ohio," Martin wrote.
As Martin and conference organizers noted, the event commemorated "the 50th anniversary of one of the first conferences for gay and lesbian [identified] Catholics, which took place at this very location back in 1974."
The organizers themselves wrote how the event “aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a pioneering 1974 conference focused on” so-called “LGBTQ inclusion and ministry.” “We hope to honor those who foresaw the importance of developing pastoral care and outreach, and to envision how we can continue to respond to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community within our Church and the world,” they added.
Martin's pro-LGBT group Outreach was one of the sponsors of the conference, where the famed Jesuit gave a speech on "LGBTQ People and the Synod."
Delivering his speech at a church on the grounds of the Marianist property, Martin stood at a pulpit adorned with a banner that appeared to show Mary holding a transgender flag.
The banner showed a woman wearing a Muslim-style burka, holding on to the " progress " flag. The background of the banner was another "progress" flag.
In an image posted by Martin himself, the Jesuit appeared with conference organizers, proudly displaying a conference T-shirt that mixed images of Christ and Mary with the rainbow flag. Another participant wore a T-shirt with an image of the Virgin Mary with the LGBT flag around it.
Also at the conference alongside Martin was controversial transgender-identified "diocesan hermit," "Brother Christian Cole Matson," who, although born Nicole Matson, now presents as a man.
