(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis personally thanked an LGBTQ activist for his “ministry” in a handwritten note after the man explained the nature of his “outreach” in a letter to Francis.
The Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky recently published the note from Francis to Stan “J.R.” Zerkowski, who is the leader of three LGBTQ organizations that operate through diocesan Catholic churches.
The ministries openly reject Catholic Church magisterial teaching on homosexual lifestyles and affirm “transgender” and “non-binary” identities.
Zerkowski explained in a message posted on the Lexington diocese website, “Recently, I wrote to Pope Francis, telling him about Fortunate Families, LGBTQ Ministry Historic St. Paul, and the Diocesan LGBTQ Outreach Commission. I explained what we do locally and nationally with parishes, the hierarchy, educational institutions, etc. I wanted him to hear from the lay people in this ministry.”
Zerkowski’s Facebook page shows that he is chair of the Diocese of Lexington’s LGBT Outreach Commission, director of LGBTQ Ministry at historic Saint Paul Catholic Church, and executive director at Fortunate Families, which works “to establish intentional Catholic LGBTQ+ Ministry Sites in dioceses.”
“I thanked the Holy Father for opening the door to ministry, and explained the difficulties we still face. And I told him that his openness has saved lives,” Zerkowski continued.
On October 13, Zerkowski received a note from Francis, which read, “Dear brother, thank you very much for your email. Thank you for your ministry. I pray for you, please continue to do so for me. May the Lord bless you and the Madonna watch over you.”
On his Facebook page, Zerkowski shared that he saw the note as “an affirmation from the pope about LGBTQ ministry.”
Francis’ approval of Zerkowski’s LGBTQ ministry reinforces his well-established pattern of praising and supporting advocates of LGBT ideology and same-sex civil unions.
Most recently, he signed a response to five dubia from five cardinals in which he opened up the possibility of same-sex blessings, in direct contradiction with the Catholic teaching on the matter.
Zerkowski is the author of Coming Out and Coming Home, published in 2022, in which he “recounts his personal struggle to face and embrace his identity as a gay man and to reconcile it with his deeply rooted Polish Catholicism.”
He is also cited as the author of a blasphemous prayer to “Our Mother of Pride,” which asks the Blessed Mother, “wrap us in the mantle of your love and maternal pride.”
Zerkowski operates within the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, which is headed by the notoriously pro-LGBT Bishop John Stowe, OFM. Stowe recently expressed his support for “blessings” of same-sex unions after Pope Francis said such “blessings” could be discerned by priests.