A masterclass in civil discourse by Cleveland Catholics

I don’t know how many times the words “civil discourse” have appeared on our platforms this year, but it’s a lot. We’ve been on a mission newsroom to promote respectful conversation, in partnership with others and through a continuing series of stories.

And then, quite apart from anything we did, civil discourse happened over the past week. And it was Catholics – current, former and lapsed – who led the way.

The issue was the Cleveland diocese issuing tight restrictions on LGBTQ matters for churches and schools, a stamping out of any sign that students might be gay or transgender or in support of those who are. Reporter Molly Walsh learned of the policies issued by Bishop Edwad Malesic and wrote a series of stories through the week laying out the new rules as well as the reaction to them. You can read them here, here and here.

The discussion by our readers was immediate. I send out a text message each weekday to people who have signed up – usually about what we are working on in the newsroom – and many who receive the messages respond with their thoughts. I had not sent a message about the Catholic controversy when the text subscribers began sending me their thoughts about it.

I did send a message about the issue Wednesday, and the response was heavy.

One aspect I love about the text subscribers is their civility, but the messages they sent on the Catholic issue exceeded their normal high standard for warmth and depth. Their notes were so fully conceived that we shared them -- anonymously, as I’ve guaranteed the texters -- in a story on cleveland.com and in the Update Section of the digital edition of The Plain Dealer. (The new Update section is an extra 8 to 10 pages a day only available to subscribers. It’s loaded with late sports and rich news stories. You can subscribe here.)

That story brought a bunch of emails of gratitude. Readers said they were heartened to see how the community was responding to and debating this important moment. And when I sent a second text about the issue Wednesday, to let people know we have heard them in their requests for expanded coverage, I received more than 100 additional responses, again written without rancor. (Mostly.)

Emails arrived in my inbox separately, with deeply personal stories and experiences.

We have had other issues generate large responses from readers, but the only other time I can recall receiving words of such humanity was after I discussed the passing of my dear dog Ella a few weeks back. In that case, people offered me kindness, while also remembering their departed companions. (Thank you, all.)

In this case, people are hurting. Some of the notes are heartbreaking. The rejection people feel, or that they said their children feel, is wrenching.

Many of those who wrote identified themselves as Catholics or former Catholics. Those disappointed in the policy who are still members of the church told us they remain passionate about their faith but abandoned by the church. They said they want the church to follow the lessons of Jesus and be welcoming and accepting. Former Catholics said this kind of policy is why they left.

We also received thoughtful, gentle notes in support of the policy. People explained that the church is not a democracy, and its teachings don’t adjust for changing attitudes.

We worked through the week to get all of those thoughts into the public sphere, and we will continue to do so. When we advocate for civil discourse, absent snark and hate, this is exactly what we have talked about, and the more we can do to circulate it, the more it might take hold in other important discussions. What is so remarkable here is that hundreds of readers had civil discourse unbidden. They did it themselves.

We hope that civility continues Sunday if this issue gets addressed from the pulpit. If you attend mass in Northeast Ohio and hear it discussed, we welcome your sharing (anonymously, if you wish) what you hear.

Thanks for the many kind words. We cherish our role in this discussion, but it only happens because you trust us to be host.

Whatever you think of the policy, Northeast Ohio demonstrated over the past week how we can discuss our differences largely without the name-calling and nasty stuff. Maybe Northeast Ohio’s Catholics have shone a light for the path forward for us to have respectful conversation on controversial issues.

I’m at cquinn@cleveland.com.

Thanks for reading.