Lula shares with us a beautiful letter, full of heartfelt words, thank you Lula!
It is a great joy to be able to participate, for the fourth time, in an assembly of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC), this time in Madrid, the capital of Spain, the land of my paternal grandparents. I represent my local collective, GAPD – Pastoral Action Group for Diversity, in São Paulo, Brazil, a space for welcoming, fraternizing, and strengthening the faith of LGBTQIA+ Catholics, which turns 15 on November 1st, 2025. We have sought to be a beacon in the lives of many people, in a world still rife with homophobia and transphobia, where some countries still criminalize and even condemn to death non-heterosexual relationships.
Therefore, we have exercised endurance along with patience while dedicating ourselves to building the Kingdom of Justice, Peace, and Love proclaimed and proposed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this Jubilee year, whose theme is Pilgrims of Hope, we must continually renew our faith and our certainty that this world can and must be better for everyone! So that there will be no hunger, no homelessness, no unemployment, and no destruction of our Common Home. And may there be health, education, and culture, with shared efforts for the dignity, fraternity, well-being, and joy for everyone.
The importance of GNRC and our local groups is to be a sort of Bethany for each other and also for all LGBTQIA+ people who seek a greater and definitive meaning for their lives, something that only the Loving God can grant us. To be a place of rest, reflection, and prayer that impel us to action, both within and outside the Church. Our greatest example is Mary, who said “yes” when God chose her to be the Mother of the Savior, and who always accompanied Him—until his death on the cross—at which point she became the Mother of us all.
There are still many challenges we face in the Catholic Church and beyond. We often become discouraged and consider giving up. However, we are called to be a community, to pray and act collectively, because we no doubt that Love conquers all battles and, eventually, brings us peace!