With Listening Hearts: Understanding the Voices of Lesbian and Gay Catholics [Paperback]

Peter J. Liuzzi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A helpful little book. -- Los Angeles Times

I recommend it highly for anyone who needs to understand the world of homosexual living. -- Juan Arzube, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles (Retired)

This basic book can also be helpful to gay and lesbian Catholics, spiritual directors, church leaders, pastors, and educators. -- Presence

Product Description

Written by the Director of the Lesbian and Gay Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and with a foreword by Most Reverend Stephen E. Blaire, Bishop of Stockton, California, this new book presents a compassionate explanation of official Church teaching on homosexuality. Using the letter from the North American Bishops, the book presents new, positive thoughts on the issue and the sound pastoral practices that arise from them. Above all, the book emphasizes the Church's position that personhood is more than one's sexual orientation and that God and grace are found in every person's story--without exception. The author is the leading Catholic in this ministry in the country. With clarity, simplicity, and humaneness, he explains basic definitions of homosexuality, addresses the issue of nurture vs. nature, and looks at what both Church and Scripture say. He provides warmth, hope, and encouragement while at the same time adhering strictly to Church teaching. Homosexuality is today's hottest topic in practical ministry, yet most people are reluctant to approach it. Many do not know what the Church actually says about it and believe the subject is one of knee-jerk black or white. This enlightening book is must reading for anyone affected by the issue: Catholic gays and lesbians, their families and friends, their pastors and parish staff members. It also belongs on the bookshelf of every diocesan office, all Catholic educators, AIDS/HIV lay ministers, family counselors, Catholic guidance counselors, and Catholic chaplains.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (January 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809139839
• ISBN-13: 978-0809139835
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,195,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important read for ministers, July 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: With Listening Hearts: Understanding the Voices of Lesbian and Gay Catholics (Paperback)

This is a very poignant and informative book for anyone in ministry (especially in the Catholic Church). Fr. Liuzzi is compassionate and creative in his approach, but clear and firm about the Catholic Church's position and limits. I don't agree with the church, but I certainly understand it better now.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most genuinely pastoral thing that I have read, July 5, 2007

By	Elizabeth (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: With Listening Hearts: Understanding the Voices of Lesbian and Gay Catholics (Paperback)

"With Listening Hearts" is written by a priest who "gets it." He is orthodox and honest about the fact that homosexual persons, who cannot marry, are morally obligated to remain single/celibate--and hallelujah, he also understands and cares about real live typical gay people well enough to respond with tremendous sensitivity to their real concerns.

There is another popular Catholic book on homosexuality, called "Beyond Gay" which is written by (as he himself says) a basically heterosexual man who was in a same-sex relationship for a number of years, then grew spiritually, came to his senses, and later got married. That book was loaned to me by one of my priests after I mentioned this issue (I am a straight single person who has had good gay, lesbian and transgender friends), and I thought it was a well written account of an unusual case. I didn't think it delved very deeply, though, into the pastoral situation of most gay people who (as good Catholics) must accept and live a celibate and chaste life, and I felt there was a bit of chutzpah in this now happily married man preaching so boldly to those gay people who will never be able to marry. I had a hard time imagining that they would listen to him.

"With Listening Hearts" is equally faithful to Catholic doctrine, but truly and compassionately in tune with "real," permanently non-heterosexual gay people; I think Fr. Liuzzi is truly an apostle, warmly human, truly on the side of the gay people he ministers to, and genuinely pastoral. His approach is one that listens, invites, reassures, and guides rather than condemns. The book also struck me as a wonderful example of apostolate that implicitly proceeds from contemplation and a contemplative attitude, which is the truest and most effective apostolate. I don't remember the book talking about that, but it's something that matters so much, because it is truly bringing Christ and His love and healing into places of brokenness. May God continue to bless Fr. Liuzzi's ministry, and give gay and lesbian Catholics the grace to remain faithful to the Church.

Gay Catholics--even if you don't agree with the Church (in all sincerity I think you must be God's special favorites, or he would not put you through so much) you would probably still find some hope and peace in this book, and would do good by putting a copy of this compassionate book in your pastor's hands! Pastors, parents, friends--this is a book to show how to BOTH be faithful to the teachings of the Church AND truly, humanly, lovingly relate to gays and lesbians! "With Listening Hearts" is a great title for it.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful-- balanced, sensitive, and orthodox, July 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: With Listening Hearts: Understanding the Voices of Lesbian and Gay Catholics (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book for anyone who has a friend or family member struggling with the reality of a homosexual orientation within the context of a Catholic spirituality and identity. It is very readable--you don't have to speak "vaticanese" to understand the theology explained. It is practical, it is affirming, and it gives insights into the stories of real people and their experiences. Books like this give me great hope.