skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

WYO Families Appeal to Pope for Compassion

play audio
Play

Thursday, April 17, 2008   

Cheyenne, WY – A group of Wyoming families is appealing to Pope Benedict XVI for understanding because they have relatives who are gay or lesbian. The families feel that statements the Pope has made validate violence towards gay and lesbian people. He has said homosexually-oriented people are "objectively disordered."

Lifelong Catholic Drew Conneen with Fortunate Families has a gay son, and he says statements like that are misleading for families.

"Sometimes, they feel they have to choose between their child and their church, and it's unfortunate because a lot of that is based on misinformation."

Conneen says perception is important because the suicide rate for young gay people and those questioning their sexual orientation is three times the rate of the general population. He says those people need to know they are loved by God.

"There's a lot of people who think that the Catholic Church, like some other churches, condemns homosexuality, when in fact, they welcome the people. People themselves certainly can be saved."

Vatican documents don't specifically condemn gay or lesbian people; in fact, they are welcome in most parishes - it's their sexual activity that is condemned. A recent U.S. Catholic church document called for opening a dialogue to talk about how to make gay and lesbian people feel welcome, and Conneen is meeting with Catholic leaders in June to pursue that.

The matter still has particular resonance in Wyoming because of the brutal murder of a young gay man, Matthew Shepard, near Laramie 10 years ago. Two perpetrators were sentenced to life in prison in the case, which drew nationwide attention.

For more information online, visit www.fortunatefamilies.com.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021