A Catholic bishop in the Netherlands says a young boy was denied preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation after calling a pro-LGBT event “nonsense,” raising renewed concerns among faithful Catholics about the treatment of orthodox Church teaching in some parishes.
According to LifeSiteNews, Bishop Robert Mutsaerts, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, shared the incident on his personal blog after visiting a parish to administer Confirmation.
The bishop said the boy had been asked to withdraw from Confirmation preparation because he criticized “Purple Friday,” a pro-LGBT initiative held in the Netherlands. Bishop Mutsaerts later confirmed the boy at another location.
“A boy with an opinion and character. Apparently, that doesn’t fit in this tolerant, non-exclusionary, inclusive, broad, open, accessible, hospitable, generous, welcoming, open-minded, understanding, and accepting parish,” the bishop wrote, according to LifeSiteNews.
Bishop Mutsaerts described the parish as openly identifying itself as an “LGBTQ church” and a “Rainbow Church.” He also noted that a rainbow flag was displayed outside the parish building during his visit.
The bishop said the parish leaders spoke often about inclusion, but he argued that traditional Catholic teaching was not treated with the same openness. Reflecting on a conversation after Mass, he wrote, “I was immediately canceled because my starting point does not align with their Rainbow Religion. Inclusion turns out not to be an open door but a carefully guarded gateway,” according to LifeSiteNews.
The controversy comes amid ongoing debate within parts of the Church over pastoral outreach to persons experiencing same-sex attraction and the promotion of LGBT ideology within Catholic institutions. The Catholic Church teaches that every person must be treated with dignity and charity, while also affirming that marriage is between one man and one woman and that sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful.
Bishop Mutsaerts has become known in recent years for publicly defending traditional Catholic doctrine on sexuality and Church teaching. According to LifeSiteNews, he previously criticized the Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans, calling it a “cowardly” attempt at the “deliberate modification” of what the Church teaches is sinful behavior.
The Dutch bishop also recently suffered serious injuries in a car accident, including a broken elbow, pelvis, and dislocated hip. According to his diocese, he has since returned home and continues recovering.
In October 2025, Bishop Mutsaerts joined Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Bishop Marian Eleganti, and Bishop Joseph Strickland during the Catholic Identity Conference in leading prayers of reparation connected to a Vatican-approved LGBT pilgrimage held earlier that year, according to LifeSiteNews.
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