06/07/2026
A Pastoral Letter for Pride Month
To the Faithful Clergy, Religious, and Laity of the United American Orthodox Catholic Church,
and to all whom these words reach,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we enter the month of June, many conversations once again arise concerning faith, sexuality, identity, inclusion, and the place of LGBTQ persons within the life of the Church. For many, these discussions are deeply personal. For others, they are theological. For some, they are painful. Yet as Christians, we are called not to begin with fear, judgment, or ideology, but with Christ.
Frequently, those seeking to condemn LGBTQ persons appeal to the Book of Leviticus. Certain passages are quoted as though they settle every question, every conversation, and every human experience. Yet we must approach Holy Scripture with both reverence and honesty.
Leviticus is part of an ancient covenantal code given to the people of Israel more than three thousand years ago. Within its pages are laws concerning diet, ritual purity, clothing, agriculture, worship, family life, and social order. To isolate one or two verses while disregarding the broader context is neither faithful exegesis nor faithful discipleship. We cannot simply pick and choose passages from Leviticus to condemn "the other" while ignoring the many commandments that we ourselves no longer observe.
Likewise, we must be cautious when relying upon disputed translations or interpretations of ancient Hebrew and Greek texts to condemn an entire community of people created in the image and likeness of God. Scripture deserves better than being reduced to a weapon. The Holy Scripture deserves better than being used as a tool of exclusion.
The most overlooked teaching in Leviticus may also be its most important:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18)
This command was so central that our Lord Jesus Christ elevated it as one of the two greatest commandments upon which hang all the Law and the Prophets. When asked to summarize the law, Jesus did not begin with regulations concerning ritual purity or boundary markers. He looked through the entirety of the Law and drew our attention to its beating heart: love of God and love of neighbor.
The Apostolic Fathers and the early Church understood that Christ was not merely adding another rule to the Law. He was revealing its deepest purpose. The ancient commandments were to be read through the lens of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. The ceremonial and covenantal structures that once marked Israel found their fulfillment in Him. The Church no longer offers temple sacrifices. We do not follow the dietary regulations of Leviticus. We do not live under the Mosaic covenant as ancient Israel did. Rather, we live under the New Covenant established in Christ's blood.
As Saint Ignatius of Antioch taught, Christians are called to live according to Christ and not merely according to the old order. As Saint Irenaeus proclaimed, Christ recapitulates and fulfills all things in Himself. The Fathers consistently understood that the Law reaches its fulfillment in Christ and must therefore be interpreted through Him.
This understanding remains foundational within our Orthodox Catholic tradition. As a Traditionally Inclusive Orthodox Catholic Church, we affirm the authority of Scripture, the witness of Holy Tradition, and the wisdom of the Fathers. At the same time, we recognize that every generation is called to encounter the living Christ anew and to discern how the Gospel speaks to the realities of human life.
We believe that every person bears the image of God. We believe that every person is worthy of dignity, respect, and pastoral care. We believe that no one should be rejected, humiliated, or dehumanized in the name of the One who welcomed the outcast, touched the untouchable, and ate with those whom others condemned.
This does not mean that every theological question has been answered. It does mean that our starting point must always be love rather than fear, encounter rather than exclusion, and Christ rather than ideology.
From the heavenly throne God proclaims, "Behold, I make all things new," He meant precisely that. In Christ, humanity is invited into a new creation, a new covenant, and a new way of being. The Gospel is not the story of a God seeking reasons to reject humanity. It is the story of a God who continually seeks ways to draw humanity closer.
At the end of the day, I know this:
God is love.
God sent His only Son so that we might see, hear, touch, and experience that love.
God sent the Holy Spirit so that we might never doubt that love.
And because of that, I am convinced that no child of God will ever hear the words, "I love you, but..." from God.
My brothers, sisters, and siblings in Christ, you are loved by God, and you are loved by us.
May you know the peace of Christ, the embrace of the Church, and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, now and always.
With all blessings, love, and support,
+Nicholas Anthony, OSB
Major Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Americas
United American Orthodox Catholic Church
