Whoever wants to come here must first ring the front doorbell and then climb several flights of stairs. By chance, hardly anyone is likely to pass by here at “Pilgrim's Harbor” – a drop-in center for homosexual World Youth Day pilgrims.
When Brendan Fay went to Sunday Mass one day, he met his current partner there. The Irishman, who lives in New York, is a guest at World Youth Day in Krakow – to be found in “Pilgrim's Haven” in a trendy district of the southern Polish metropolis. This World Youth Day place in an inconspicuous building wants to be, according to the name, a harbor for some pilgrims, at the same time also a place of refuge for them. The bridge to this haven is the Polish Christian homosexual organization Wiara i Tecza (Faith and Rainbow).
The Warsaw group set up the focal point for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pilgrims from around the world for the festival of faith. They want to support pilgrims, engage in conversation with them, inform and discuss ies of life and faith, say Marcela Koscianczuk and Agnieszka Wiciak of the organization. Clergy also expected.
“Who am I to judge them?”
Fay has traveled from the U.S., in part to show a film at Pilgrim's Haven on Tuesday. Pope Francis also arrives in Krakow the same day to attend World Youth Day. Francis is an “example” for him, says Fay – and recalls that the pope once said about gays and lesbians: “Who am I to judge them?”. And he pointed out that the Catholic head of church had embraced a gay couple during a visit to the USA.
The church must of course be open to all people – including homosexuals, Fay stresses. He sees Francis' words and actions so far as a sign of hope. Michael Brinkschroder does not think that the Pope has the topic of homosexuality in his luggage at World Youth Day. The German is a member of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups and says there are also still ies such as the refugee question and terrorism. “I believe that Francis puts other things in the foreground.”
Homosexuality is punishable in Poland
He emphasizes: “In Germany we are welcome, and they are ready for talks.” In Poland, host country of World Youth Day, “the mood in general is already homophobic”. Homosexuality is punishable in other countries, such as Africa. “There is a huge span in the Catholic Church.”Within the universal church, which is after all currently gathered in Krakow, there needs to be a “greater internal debate” about the ie, he said.
Wiciak and Koscianczuk from the organization Wiara i Tecza also explain that it is apparently not so easy in Poland. They had also received hate comments and threats in the run-up, he said, when it became known that they would be setting up the pilgrim drop-in center. Therefore support and protect them also the police, they say.
Slow change
Again and again, participants of the World Youth Day would come by to seek conversation, to take part in discussion events – also with clergy – or to watch films. In its daily work, away from WYD, the organization is also in discussion with some Polish bishops, Koscianczuk stresses. There are hostilities from nationalist groups, he said – “but the language of the church is changing”. By this they mean, for example, verbal aggression.
Because of this, a change is slowly beginning in devout Polish families who take the word of church representatives very seriously. They began to be more supportive of their lesbian or gay daughters and sons. They haven't noticed any homophobia at World Youth Day yet, say the two activists.
The New Yorker Fay seems happy about the talks and events in the “pilgrim's harbor. Those who talk to him receive the promise of being included in his prayers.