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Soft-spoken and personable, McGrattan was forthright when asked where he stood on these topics.

“With regard to gay-straight alliance, even that very terminology creates a sense of what I would say not an agenda but is promoting a certain lifestyle. In Ontario, we call that respecting differences so that we allow young people to know there are differences and that we need to respect those without labelling them with those particular terms.

“So I would hold to those types of positions… I might not be as direct but I’ll be as firm I think sometimes.”

Perhaps the most controversial issue in Alberta schools of late is the NDP government’s new guidelines to protect the rights of gay and transgender students and teachers.

Although new to the province, McGrattan did not sidestep the issue.

“I have found them to be a little more strident, a little more directive in terms of how they’re trying to promote this particular theory. And I refer back to that terminology. It is gender theory, it’s not truth and therefore I think we begin to organize our society and establish relationships based on a theory.”

Representatives from Calgary’s LGBT community want to meet with the new bishop once he’s settled in. Kelly Ernst, executive director of the Calgary Outlink Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, hopes McGrattan will be open to working with them.

“I do understand he’s certainly not going to change on church doctrine. But how he delivers a message might be as important as what that message might be.”

McGrattan aims to continue his practice of three-day pastoral visits to out of town parishes and hopes to work with leaders of other faith communities — especially for the benefit of Syrian refugees and Muslim communities.

He said he likes to get a sense of a community and doesn’t make decisions rashly.

“I’d say I’m collaborative. I like to listen. When called to be decisive I will and, hopefully, people will follow.”

The installation mass was to be aired online at the Calgary diocese website, livestreamed on the Catholic Church’s Salt + Light website or live on the cable TV network.