Peter-Hans Kolvenbach Speech (Click here to go to source)

On Oct 5-8, 2000, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, the Jesuit supererior general, delivered a speech on faith and justice in terms of solidarity. This article is a compilation of important concepts from the speech. Kolvenbach discusses the issues of the then recent liberation of Palestine, saying that any kind of injustice is caused by a general spiritual negativity of humankind. The remedy for this (at least through the lens of an educational standard) is to teach students about solidarity (which happens to be the basis of this project). Solidarity comes from “contact” rather than “concept”, an idea also displayed in Gregory Boyle’s book, Tattoos on the Heart. Solidarity cannot be learned nor understood solely with books in a classroom, but must be achieved through activity with communities who need help, communities on the margins of society, or even communities who are being treated unfairly.

I believe the Metropolitan Community Church does play a role in achieving solidarity with the LGBT community by physically providing them with a place of worship. It goes above and beyond a mere statement of acceptance through actual contact rather than a display of concepts. The MCC tries to balance the justice brought to the LGBT community by treating them as equals compared to others in society. They prove that sexuality is no reason to be unjust to a community.

Kolvenbach, Peter-Hans. “True Solidarity.” America Magazine. America, 5 Feb 2001. Web. 23 Mar 2012.