Following are NCR reader responses to recent news articles, opinion columns and theological essays with letters that have been edited for length and clarity.
Pride Month
June invites Catholics to contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and we remember something very beautiful: His Heart is open to everyone (NCR, June 10, 2026).
As our society turns its attention to the experiences of LGBTQ persons, this is a good moment to show the kindness and compassion of Jesus. Our LGBTQ brothers and sisters are part of our families and our parishes. They are welcome and loved by God. Let's reject hatred, bullying, and anything that hurts the dignity of another person.
God doesn't divide humanity into "worthy" and "unworthy." Instead, He invites each of us — gay, straight, married, single, clergy, lay — to ongoing conversion. Conversion is not a burden placed on one group; it is the lifelong journey of every disciple. When we recognize the dignity of other persons, we are not endorsing every choice they make; we are honoring the God who made them. Love does not require agreement. Love requires seeing Christ in the other.
If there's room in Jesus' Heart for everyone, there must be room in his church for all to feel loved and welcome. As Pope Leo XIV says, "You're all welcome, and let's get to know one another and respect one another."
(Fr.) MISAEL AVILA
Turlock, California
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LGBT inclusion
Michael Sean Winters cited Pope Saint Paul VI who observed that people are more inclined to heed witnesses rather than teachers (NCR, June 1, 2026). That is arguably true when we hear of witnesses in the LGBT community who have been marginalized not just by society generally but also by exclusion from some parishes.
The church teaches inclusion and the intrinsic value of all individuals yet in practice they manage to treat some members of society as if they were second class. The state decides who is legally married yet the church will ostracize individuals who marry outside the church if their marriage is same sex. The clergy can not claim to desire inclusivity on one hand while forcing emotionally damaging choices on faithful Catholics.
The church needs to address all aspects of social justice and make strides to include all marginalized groups. Allowing divisions or condoning discrimination will not just have a deleterious effect on those targeted but will also show the church to be insincere in the practice of its teachings. In this way the witness will itself contradict the teaching and the teachers will be seen as hypocrites.
CHARLES LE GUERN
Mount Holly, North Carolina
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Nicholas Leeper
I can't tell you how happy I was to see the article on Nicholas Leeper and his exhibition "Twilight of the Idols" (NCR, May 20, 2026). I would love to see more of his work. It helps me to bring myself into the present and see what information about spirituality it can give me. Thank you so much for refreshingly pushing the envelope.
DIANE DANIELS
Tucson, Arizona
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