Wow. Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt (Remember him? The one who turned the Catholic Mass and that church’s holiest sacrament into a weapon with which to bludgeon LGBT people?) does NOT want dissent within the clerical ranks when it comes to same-sex marriage.
In a dictatorial move, Nienstedt essentially told the priests of his diocese that when it came to the Minnesota Catholic church’s campaign to pass a constitutional marriage discrimination amendment, they had two choices: help out or shut up.
It is my expectation that all the priests and deacons in this Archdiocese will support this venture and cooperate with us in the important efforts that lie ahead. The gravity of this struggle, and the radical consequences of inaction propels me to place a solemn charge upon you all — on your ordination day, you made a promise to promote and defend all that the Church teaches. I call upon that promise in this effort to defend marriage. There ought not be open dissension on this issue. If any have personal reservations, I do not wish that they be shared publicly. If anyone believes in conscience that he cannot cooperate, I want him to contact me directly and I will plan to respond personally.
Writing for the American Independent, crack reporter Andy Birkey revealed yesterday that Nienstedt’s authoritarian remarks were delivered in a private speech to priests last October. Just to make sure his message reached every priest under his jurisdiction, the archbishop later sent the text of that speech to all priests who were unable to attend. (According to Birkey, Nienstedt’s remarks are only coming to light now because someone within the church leaked the speech to a group called the Progressive Catholic Voice, who released it to the media.) In the same address, Birkey reports that Nienstedt also spoke about sending teams consisting of “a priest and a married couple” into Catholic schools to discuss marriage discrimination with schoolchildren.
Minnesota Catholics: if you put money into the collection plate on Sundays, this is what you’re supporting. Yes, Nienstedt’s bigotry is out of step with the vast majority of Catholics. Yes, the Catholic church provides important services to poor and disadvantaged people. But there are dozens if not hundreds of charitable organizations providing the same services as the Catholic church without the spiritual bullying. When you donate to your local parish instead of these other charities, though, you give tacit approval to Nienstedt’s reprehensible persecution of your LGBT family members, friends, neighbors, and congregants.
Money talks. Assuming that the Catholic church will change its position on marriage equality or even ease up on its anti-gay attacks without significant incentive to do so is the height of folly.
Intimidating priests whose consciences might compel them to take a position on Minnesota’s marriage amendment different from that of the institutional church. Sending teams of adults into Catholic schools to teach children that only some of them will be worthy of marriage when they grow up. Ordering priests to organize grassroots political committees in their parishes for the express purpose of drumming up support for marriage discrimination. Producing and shipping DVDs attacking same-sex couples and families to every Catholic household in the state. Composing a prayer for divine help in the quest to write a divisive and discriminatory religious teaching into the civil constitution, then tying that prayer to the central act of unity in the Catholic tradition.
I can’t think of a more repulsive distortion of everything that a church is supposed to represent, and I couldn’t imagine supporting it with my hard-earned nickels and dimes. Minnesota Catholics, do you want this on your conscience?
The enforcement clause that grabbed me most is the bishop’s requirement: If anyone believes in conscience that he cannot cooperate, I want him to contact me directly and I will plan to respond personally.
The inference there is not subtle: If you are not with me on this — as a matter of internal conscience — you will either identify yourself and face possible consequences, or you will be marked as a traitor when you speak up later.
Classic intimidation technique, eh?
The only Christians who have really been persecuted, are those who have performed marriage ceremonies for ss couples. Ministers and priests have been fired from their parishes, denied communion. Catholic supporters of marriage equality or contraception have been roundly excommunicated from their churches.
If the cleric was gay themselves, they were not allowed to continue in their jobs, or serve for their church.
I consider these the bravest Christians living up to a standard their detractors don’t want or ever expect to.
Jesus, after all…served those who were the most unpopular and most difficult to defend and be around.
I have a very difficult time trusting people of face who refuse to recognize just how misogynist religion is, and the damage done to credibility over gender.
This archbishop has some real personal problems. Hopefully, he has some real personnel problems as well.
It would seem they are taking the light off their pedophilia mess by pointing fingers at others. Pointing back with more media about their real issue they are covering up by striking out at love based gay marriage might be worthy of consideration. After all, they are hmm ….. “celibate”, (cough couch) and giving direction about sex and marriage. How do those two things even mix? They need to be redirected to tend to their own weed filled garden.
Me thinks he protests too much.
Putting the Church ahead of the teachings and *example* of Jesus Christ is a form of Idolatry. And that is a big ol’ sin against the First Commandment.
Seems to me that SOMEbody is looking for a promotion………..or maybe a red hat, most likely.
I left the Catholic Church because of its rigid, hateful social policies.
However, here in the Twin Cities, Catholic Charities is a separate nonprofit. While the Archbishop is technically the president, donations to Catholic Charities are used to serve the poor and homeless, not for any anti-gay work of the Archbishop.
This is stomach-turning. I can remember the days that as a gay teenager the Vatican II Church gave me the courage to come out! My partner and I have been together now for 25 years. Our son is also Catholic and is now doing his confirmation classes at a welcoming parish. I hasten to add, talking with him and other Catholic teens gives me real hope for the future. They see the full value of our tradition, and they also recognize bigotry and gobblety-gook when they hear it.
There’s a real level of stupidity in the Church’s arguments these days that really embarrasses me. One thing has become patently clear: it was a lot harder to become a bishop in the days when they could pick from hundreds of talented priests. Now that vocations have been down for a good fifty years, they’ll consecrate just about anyone regardless of his intelligence or lack thereof.
I have some good friends who are Roman Catholic priests and nuns John. They love your denomination, but, one of them was very honest with me and just said “in truth, anyone who is gay and remains Catholic must have some issues of denial and seeing what they want to see. I understand why X (a friend we had in common) became an Episcopalian.”
X (named Paul) is gay.
The parish may be welcoming, but, the denomination is not, and probably never will be.
To each their own, but if you wish to remain a Christian, why be one in denomination that is so vehemently bigoted and anti gay? It is not the only choice in town, and is no closer to God than the others.
Food for thought
This isn’t just about LGBT people. How ANY woman can stay in this citadel of misogyny is totally beyond my comprehension. The only way for the roman church to wake up is for people to LEAVE. Period. And tell them why on your way out the front door.
[...] The visiting delegation included bishops from Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota. It was led by Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has inserted himself more deeply into the battle over civil marriage in Minnesota than perhaps any other Catholic bishop across the country. Nienstedt is the same prelate who injected a prayer for marriage discrimination into the Catholic Mass, turned the Eucharist — which is sacred to Catholics — into a weapon with which to marginalize and exclude LGBT people, and told the priests of his diocese that if any of them dared to oppose the Church’s efforts to write its discriminatory teachings on marriage into the state constitution, they had better shut up about it. [...]
[...] The visiting delegation included bishops from Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota. It was led by Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has inserted himself more deeply into the battle over civil marriage than perhaps any other Catholic bishop across the country. Nienstedt is the same prelate who injected a prayer for marriage discrimination into the Catholic Mass, turned the Eucharist — which is sacred to Catholics — into a weapon with which to marginalize and exclude LGBT people, and told the priests of his diocese that if any of them dared to oppose the Church’s efforts to write its discriminatory teachings on marriage into the state constitution, they had better keep their mouths shut. [...]
[...] the Catholic Mass, turned that church’s holiest sacrament into a weapon against LGBT people, ordered his priests to organize grassroots political committees in their parishes — at parish expense [...]
[...] spiritual bullying a priority (especially in Minnesota, where the Catholic Church is throwing its weight behind a proposed marriage discrimination amendment to that state’s constitution) it’s [...]
[...] into the Mass, subjecting students at Catholic high schools to mandatory anti-gay lectures, and silencing any of his priests who would dare to dissent from the official Church position on marriage [...]