Following the decision by Archbishop Nichols of Westminster to end the so-called Soho Mass for gay Catholics so that Anglican-Catholics could use the church for their boutique rites it was believed that the ministry for gay Catholics would continue at a London Jesuit parish. Apparently that's not the case, as The Tablet reports:

No gay Mass at Farm Street, Jesuits say11 January 2013The Parish Priest at the newly designated church for gay Catholics has said that no specific provision will be made for the group when they attend Mass.Last week the Archbishop of Westminster announced an end to the Soho Masses at Our Lady of the Assumption, Warwick Street, central London. But following the announcement those who attended the bimonthly Masses expressed a hope that their liturgical celebration could be transferred to the Sunday evening Mass at the Jesuit-run church in Farm Street, Mayfair.However Fr Andrew Cameron-Mowat, the parish priest at Farm Street, told The Tablet that the community would not be able to continue some of its traditions under the new arrangement. Asked if the group could write its own bidding prayers, use rainbow-coloured items or invite priests to say Mass he said: "We will be happy to welcome newcomers to our regular parish Masses but cannot make provision for guest presiders or other features specific to any single group. This would be against the wishes of the archbishop."

Nichols had come under intense pressure from conservatives in the UK and Rome to reverse his support for the Soho mass, and activists kept up the pressure when it seemed he might have made some provision for allowing the liturgy to continue even after it was shut down in Soho. We couldn't have that, of course.H/T: Catholic World News

David Gibson is the director of Fordham’s Center on Religion & Culture.

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