On the 4th of April, many vigils of prayer to remember
the victims of homophobia
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“The stone that the builders rejectedhas
become the cornerstone“
Matthew, 21, 42
In front of such much gratuitous violence against the homosexuals, and considering the ear-piercing silence of the world; as Christians coming from different confessions and progress of faith, we believe that it is in our duty to give some concrete answer, obviously, we won’t keep silent.
That is why on Friday the 4th of April 2008 we will meet together in several cities of Italy to celebrate many vigils of prayer to remember the victims of homophobia and to smash in, through our testimony, the wall of silence and embarrassment that usually prevails in our churches and our society about this heavy problem.
On Friday the 4th 2008 Catholics, Waldensians, Old Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, etc… We will meet together in our churches, in our communities, in our houses to fling a yell of hope, in order that all these things get to an end. In this spirit we invite all believers to get start vigils of prayer in their communities as a signal of hope.
You too may organize together with your friends, your group of believers, your family, your community, in your church or house a vigil -in a public or in a private way- on the 4th of April 2008 in order to share this hope with the others.
It is up to you, as Christians, to decide whether it is time to break your silence or not. For further information visit the website http://inveglia.wordpress.com/english/
Besides, if you want to communicate the realization of a vigil of prayer for the victims of homophobia in your city also, you may contact us by writing to gionatanews@gmail.com
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Why the 4th of April?
2 Cor 5:17 “The old things passed away; behold, new things have come”
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A lot of people made the following question: why the 4th of April of this year has been chosen as a date for “the vigils prayer for the victims of homophobia” instead of some another date that may, apparently, seems to be more significant?
In the 2007 we have chosen the 28 of June, the day of the revolt of Stonewall and the start point of the homosexual movement.
For this year, we have chosen the 4th of April for the following reason: (besides the fact that the 4th of April is, usually, a non-religious day’s festivity) this day helps us to reflect upon two important events.
We want to remember the fact that during the last April Matteo, a young man comes from Torino (Italy), has committed suicide at the age of sixteen. He has become a symbol of the bullying and the homophobic discrimination.
Besides, on the 4th of April 1968 (that is precisely 40 years ago) the Baptist pastor Martin Luther King has been assassinated at Memphis (USA), starring role and inspirer of non-violent struggles for the civil rights of the Afro-Americans and of all the other minorities.
Coretta King, the wife of Martin Luther King, deceased in 2006, answered back those who were shocked for her campaign against homophobia:
“I still hear people saying to me that I have to speak no more about the rights of gay and lesbians, that I have to speak only about the racial justice. I warmly urge these people to not forget that Martin Luther King said: «Any kind of injustice is a threat against any kind of justice» ”.
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They joined (update)
The volunteers and the volunteers of the project Gionata
The group Refo in Florence
Group La Goccia, homosexual Christians of Cremona
Noi siamo Chiesa (NSC) affiliate to “International Movement We Are Church“
REFO (Net Evangelical faith and homosexuality)
Group Kairos, homosexual Christians of Florence
I circulate Solidarity “Tondelli” LGBT of Bassano of the Grappa
Methodist Community in Rome (Street XX Settembre)
Group homosexual Christians of Aosta
Group VARCO-Refo of Milan
Group Nuova Proposta, believing homosexuals of Rome
Amarecolcuoredidio, group of discussion on faith and homosexuality
Baptist church in Milan (Street Pinamonte from Vimercate n. 10)
Group Emmanuele, believing homosexual people of Padua
Group La fonte, homosexual Christians of Milan
Waldesians Church (Presbyterian Church) in Florence
Association Cultural Humanist “Color Porpora” of Milan
Old Catholic Churc (vetero-cattolici) in Turin
Group of Catholic Formation Villa Guicciardini in Florence
Association Viottoli, Christian Community of base of Pinerolo (Turin)
Group Ponti Sospesi, homosexual believers of Naples
Group Il Guado, homosexual Christians of Milan
Group La Fenice, homosexual Christians of Turin
Group Ressa, homosexual Christians of Trento
Il Dialogo, Periodic of culture and dialogue interreligioso of the Irpinia
Group La Rondine, homosexual believers of Turin
Free church of Avellino
Group “Terrabattuta”, homosexual Christians di Reggio Emilia
Community vetero-Catholic of St. Vincent of Lerins in Florence
Community vetero-Catholic of Saint Maria Maddalena of Livorno
Baptist Evangelical church in Florence (street Borgognissanti)
Waldesians Church (Presbyterian Church) of Rimini
Group Narcissus and Boccadoro, homosexual believers of Rimini
Waldesians Church (Presbyterian Church) of Venice
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Cile/Chile.
Afirmación Gran Valparaíso de Viña del Mar, Región de Valparaíso
Afirmación Atacama de Copiapó, Región de Atacama
Afirmación del Libertador de Rancagua, Región del Libertador
Afirmación del Bío-Bío de Concepción, Región del Bío-Bío
Afirmación Temuco de Temuco, Región de La Araucanía
Firmación Magallanes de Punta Arenas, Región de Magallanes
Afirmación para La Patagonia Y Andes Australes de Futaleufú, Región de Los Lagos
Afirmación Santiago de Chile, Santiago
Perù
Groups of Christian believers
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Iglesia Católica Apostólica Antigua del Río de la Plata de Montevideo
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ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires
CILE/CHILE: Quilpué, Viña del Mar, Copaipó, Santiago de Chile, Rancagua, Concepción, Temuco, Futaleufú y Punta Arenas
IRLANDA/IRELAND: Dublino
ITALIA/ITALY: Firenze, Roma, Milano, Bassano del Grappa, Aosta, Padova, Torino, Pinerolo, Napoli, Trento, Palermo, Brescia, Avellino, Livorno, Rimini
PERU: Pucallpa
SPAGNA/ESPANA: Barcellona, Tenerife, Santiago di Compostela
VENEZUELA: Valencia, Maracay
