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Summary for: Olomouc cancels LGBTQ+ Catholic pilgrimage following online threatsOlomouc’s Catholic archdiocese has canceled a September pilgrimage for LGBTQ+ believers and their families and friends after a wave of hostile online reactions raised concerns about participants’ safety.
The second annual Pouť na půli cesty (Halfway Pilgrimage) was due to take place in mid-September. The event was organized by pastoral teams from three Moravian dioceses and was intended to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to pray, meet and discuss matters of faith.
Organizers said the decision was not a retreat from supporting LGBTQ+ Catholics, but a response to concerns about security at a public event. The archdiocese said it had received a large number of negative responses through social media, email and letters.
Organizers cite growing hostility
“The reason is a strongly heightened atmosphere and a wave of negative, even hateful reactions online, because of which it was not possible to guarantee the safety of participants,” organizers said in a statement published by the archdiocese.
Jiří Gračka, a spokesman for the Olomouc archdiocese, told Deník N that the decision was intended to protect participants rather than give in to pressure. He said the volume of negative reactions, combined with experiences from previous public events, led organizers to conclude that they could not provide a sufficiently safe environment.
Hyacint Pavel Kuchta, who is part of the pastoral team for LGBTQ+ believers, similarly said organizers had concluded that they could not guarantee a safe space given the intensity of the reaction to the planned pilgrimage.
The archdiocese has faced hostile reactions to other LGBTQ+-related events. In May, a rainbow fair in central Olomouc was accompanied by threats, including death threats, according to organizers. Several dozen criminal complaints were subsequently filed, while police and emergency security teams were deployed at the event.
The previous pilgrimage, held last year in Sloup in the Moravian Karst, also drew hostile correspondence, although organizers said the criticism was primarily directed at them rather than the diocesan leadership.
Pastoral meetings will continue
The cancellation does not mean the end of the archdiocese’s pastoral work with LGBTQ+ believers. A dedicated service operating under the patronage of Archbishop Josef Nuzík has been meeting with LGBTQ+ people, their relatives and friends for more than two years.
Regular smaller meetings will continue, with organizers emphasizing personal conversations, prayer and discussions about spiritual issues in a more private setting.
The Archdiocese of Olomouc canceled a planned pilgrimage for LGBTQ+ Catholics after receiving hostile and threatening online reactions. Should religious organizations provide dedicated spaces and events for LGBTQ+ believers?
Nuzík has said the church should not close its doors to anyone seeking God. The archdiocese said its pastoral work with LGBTQ+ people does not represent a change in church teaching, but reflects its commitment to welcoming and listening to individuals.
The decision comes after heightened security concerns around LGBTQ+ events in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe.
Czech police increased security measures during this month’s Prague Pride parade following a deadly attack at an LGBTQ+ rights event in Berlin in late July, when a vehicle drove into a crowd, killing one person and injuring around 30 others.
