On Tuesday next, November 6th, I am traveling to the United States. It is a significant day, in that it is the day of the mid-term elections over there. Will there be a ‘blue wave’ to give the Democrats control of the House, and maybe also the Senate, and in that way put them in a position where they can clip the wings of the president? Or will Trump pull off another victory? I’m sure that will be a major topic of conversation while I am over there.
But my first stop is Pittsburgh, where I am giving a talk on Wednesday evening, 7th. There will be other things on peoples’ minds in Pittsburgh after the awful shooting in the synagogue. I have already been told that all the money collected at my talk will go to the Jewish immagrent fund, which is good. I will be talking on the topic of New Language for Ancient Doctrines. It is a subject I am very interested in, and I consider it is one of the major challenges facing the Church into the future.
Then it will be back to Washington, where I will be conducting a weekend retreat organised by New Ways Ministry, an organisation, led by Jeannine Gramick, that works for LGBT and their friends and families. That is the event I have already mentioned on this site, where the location had to be changed because of the objections of the local bishop. I hope that it all goes well. I intend talking to that group about Catholic sexual teaching, and the difficulties experienced by LGBT people with some of the language used in official Church doctrine. There will be plenty of time for discussion over the weekend, so that should be interesting.
I will be returning to Ireland on Tuesday, 13th Nov. So, just one week over there.
