Here’s a story to make you smile this morning, from Dominic Holden at Slog:
In an email to his flock, St. James Cathedral reverend Michael Ryan has announced that he won’t circulate petitions inside his parish for the campaign to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law. Here’s his full email:
Dear Friends,
Archbishop Sartain has written a letter in which he has expressed his support for Referendum 74 and for the collecting of signatures in parishes. Media reports regarding this are somewhat misleading. While the Archbishop has given his support to the effort, he has wisely left it up to each pastor to decide whether to allow the collection of signatures in his own parish.
After discussing the matter with the members of the Cathedral’s pastoral ministry team, I have decided that we will not participate in the collecting of signatures in our parish. Doing so would, I believe, prove hurtful and seriously divisive in our community.
Father Ryan
Check out Holden’s full story here — he includes an important explanation about why Fr. Ryan might have written that media reports regarding Archbishop Sartain’s letter are “somewhat misleading.”
More importantly, though, Holden is 100% correct: Fr. Michael Ryan of Seattle’s St. James Cathedral deserves commendation for his courageous refusal. Here’s hoping more of his colleagues follow suit.
Like I said, most lay Catholics, parish priests and nuns do not listen to the Hierarchy on political matters, especially on matters that will be divisive to local parishes. I also like the fact that Fr. Ryan consulted the pastoral ministry team before making his decision. This shows that modern day pastors no longer have the absolute, iron-fist power over the parish like they did in my parents’ day.
Occasionally some of them actually treat people the way Christ did.
This is good news. I am sure there are many pastors who do not like these “directions” they receive from their homophobic bishops. From the article quoted, it appears there are at least two who have made the same decision. I will certainly email or write the pastors to thank them.
If you don’t want to be hurtful or divisive, then don’t divide yourself off into a religion, especially one that causes non-stop hurt (not to mention the centuries of institutionalized child rape). Yes, this guy’s to be applauded for this particular action, but if he really cared about what’s right, he wouldn’t be associated with the Catholic criminal cartel to begin with.
There’s no rational reason to be religious, but, if you absolutely must be, why choose the religion run by some of the worst people alive on Earth?
for justme #4 ‘no rational reason…’ is quite debatable.
http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/
StephenB. – Careful when you feed the beast. It might bite back.
“Archbishop Sartain has written a letter in which he has expressed his support for Referendum 74 and for the collecting of signatures in parishes.”
Church-State separation? Revoke tax exempt status? Is this even an issue anymore when religious leaders openly get involved with politics?
Reply to justme: Right on, my friend! You said it all.
Jerry
Good for him! Nice to see priests (or anyone else) stand up to the hierarchy.
Hi guys, anyone interested in minus 18 this weekend ?
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