I want to introduce my blog by sharing this lettter I sent to David Tracy as a response to the article that appeared about him in the January 29th issue of Commonweal entitled "God Obsessed: David Tracy's unfinished Business. David , one of the leading Catholic theologians, just retired from his post at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Stating that the primary need of today is not intellectual speculative theology, Tracy made this  observation:


David

Over the years I have been a great admirer of your contribution to theology. I was moved by the Spirit to write you after reading your interview in Commonweal.

I cant convey to you how healing your words were to me.

"Tracy sees *massive global suffering* as *the overwhelming issue* in the modern world. That is why he has always tried to support liberation theologians."Doing something about it - the struggle for justice and to clarify what that means in relation to God and Christ - has become for me an overwhelming focus."..."You know without mysticism, I think we are lost."

Over forty years ago the Spirit led me into contact with the intense unjust suffering of the LBGT community. I felt called by God to create a ministry within the Catholic church for that ommunity. In 1972 I helped create Dignity and in 1976 published my first of five books, The Church and the Homosexual, on gay and .lesbian spirituality and liberation. The General of the Jesuits, Pedro Arupe gave his imprimi potest and aproved my ministry to gays. (Confer my website: www.johnjmcneill.com. I alo have a second websit: www.Maurice Blondel.com on the thought of Maurice Blondel and his Philosophy of Action)

A year after the publication of the Church and the Homosexual in 1976 I was ordered to silence. After nine years of silence I felt obliged in conscience to speak up again and published my second book: Taking a Chance on God. In 1988 Cardinal Ratzinger ordered my dismissal from the Jesuits. Basically I have been cut off from the Catholic church and I have found a home in Metropolitan Community Church.

I have spent my whole life trying to bring the good news of God's unconditional love for GLBT people with some success on the grass root level but none on the governing level of the Church. My only consolation has been a mystical sense of God's love and approval.

Thank you again for your supportive message

May God's love fill your heart anew.

John McNeill



I used this letter to introduce my blog because the primary focus of my blog will be the same as my ministry over the past fifty years, to bring the message of God's unconditional love for GLBT people and to seek justice in the Catholic church for its gay and lesbian members.