Dutch Gays End Communion Dispute with Church

Dutch gay rights groups ended their protests against a Catholic church in the city of Den Bosch after the church said it would no longer bar gay people from receiving communion.

Last Sunday gay rights activists disrupted mass at the Sint-Jan church southwest of Amsterdam with walkouts and pink displays because a local priest had refused communion to an openly gay man from a nearby village. Church officials said they knew the man was gay because of a role he took in a local carnival celebration.

According to the Associated Press, "The Sint-Jan church in Den Bosch says it will leave it up to believers to decide whether they are ready they are ready to receive communion."