Many Catholics were left stunned this week following reports that Pope Leo XIV has appointed a San Diego auxiliary bishop to lead the Diocese of Monterey, California, despite the bishop’s public association with an LGBT-themed Mass that featured a drag queen activist as a speaker.
According to LifeSiteNews, Bishop Ramón Bejarano previously served as the celebrant of a July 13 “All are Welcome” Mass organized by an “LGBTQ Ministry” at St. John’s parish in San Diego. The event reportedly had full diocesan backing and included a speech by drag queen activist Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a former board member of the Human Rights Campaign.
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For many faithful Catholics, the appointment raises serious questions about pastoral leadership, fidelity to Church teaching, and the direction of episcopal governance in the United States.
In a separate sermon at a similar “All are Welcome Mass” in 2024, Bishop Bejarano reportedly told attendees, “I apologize for the pain and distress that I and the Church have caused to many of you.” He continued, “I apologize for the stigmatization and trauma we have caused to others because we have told them that they are not valued and that they are not worthy of the love of God. There are many others out there who feel rejected and unvalued,” according to LifeSiteNews.
While the Church clearly teaches that every human person is loved by God and possesses inherent dignity, critics argue that the language used in such settings often blurs the line between pastoral care and doctrinal confusion. Nowhere in the reported remarks was there mention of the Church’s moral teachings regarding sexual behavior or marriage.
Murray-Ramirez publicly praised Bishop Bejarano following the Mass, writing on Facebook that “The Bishop’s sermon was a most powerful one that focused on (the fact) that God loves ALL of us the way we are,” according to LifeSiteNews. He also thanked the bishop “on behalf of all of us for standing up for not only the LGBTQ COMMUNITY but the undocumented and refugees,” adding that the bishop received a “thunderous prolong ovation.”
Photos posted from the event reportedly show Murray-Ramirez being blessed by Bishop Bejarano and posing for photographs alongside him, as well as with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who is openly homosexual and identifies as Catholic, according to LifeSiteNews.
The controversy deepens when viewed alongside Bishop Bejarano’s broader public record. LifeSiteNews reports that he was among 68 U.S. bishops who in 2021 signed a letter urging the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to end discussions about restricting Holy Communion for Catholic politicians who publicly support abortion.
For many Catholics striving to live faithfully amid cultural pressure, such actions feel less like accompaniment and more like surrender. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches clearly that homosexual acts are “acts of grave depravity” and “intrinsically disordered,” stating that “under no circumstances can they be approved.” These teachings are not optional, nor are they subject to cultural trends or political activism.
Pastoral sensitivity must never come at the expense of truth. Authentic mercy flows from clarity, not contradiction. When Church leaders appear to celebrate or platform movements that openly reject Catholic moral teaching, the faithful are left confused, scandalized, and disheartened.
An episcopal appointment is not merely administrative; it is a powerful signal. For Catholics who love the Church and strive to remain obedient to her teachings, this appointment feels like yet another moment where clarity has been sacrificed in favor of applause.
According to LifeSiteNews, the facts surrounding this Mass, the remarks made, and the public praise offered by LGBT activists are well-documented. The outrage many Catholics feel is not rooted in hatred or exclusion, but in a deep concern for the integrity of the faith handed down through the centuries.
The Church is called to welcome sinners — as Christ Himself did — but never to bless sin or obscure the truth. When that line appears to be crossed, the faithful have not only a right, but a duty, to speak.
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