Is it just me, or does it sometimes feel like there’s a new story about anti-LGBT spiritual bullying from the Catholic church coming out every single day?
Here’s the latest: right on the heels of a statement from San Francisco archbishop-elect Salvatore Cordileone that sexually active LGBT Catholics are unworthy of participating in the Sacrament of Holy Communion (the central act of Catholic worship and the cornerstone of Catholic identity), Newark Archbishop John Myers is going one step further, declaring in a “sweeping pastoral statement” issued today that all pro-marriage equality Catholics are unfit to partake in the Eucharist. The Record reports:
He . . . said in the statement, a copy of which was provided to The Record before its release, that Catholics who disagree with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on marriage should “refrain from receiving Holy Communion.” He said he issued the statement because of what he described as a lack of clarity on the subject by other bishops.
Myers also says that in considering how to cast their ballots in November, Catholics should scrutinize the “full spectrum” of each candidate and not vote for any who does not endorse what he calls “proper” marriage.
He also supports gay people marrying non-gay spouses:
He wrote that it is possible for gay people to be married to members of the opposite sex and live “good, faithful and even joyous married lives. It is a lie to say that they are living, or have lived, a lie.”
Finally, Archbishop Myers compares marriage equality to incest:
“Even those who propose radically altering the definition of marriage would not advocate allowing two brothers or sisters or an uncle and his nephew to marry (say, for the tax benefits, or for hospital visiting privileges).”
According to the Record, a notice will be distributed to parishioners in churches all across the Newark Archdiocese this Sunday informing them of the letter and directing them to the archdiocesan website, where it’s posted.
Let me be clear: when Archbishop Myers says that Catholics who don’t subscribe to that church’s Stone-Age sexual mores are unworthy of full participation in the church, he’s not talking about a small sliver of the Catholic population. On the contrary, polls consistently show that Catholics support LGBT equality at a higher rate than the general public. In fact, a whopping 71% of Catholics support full civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.
But as far as Archbishop Myers is concerned, these pro-equality Catholics — nearly three-fourths of all Catholics in America — aren’t really Catholics at all, at least not Catholics in good standing. With prelates like Myers promulgating these appallingly divisive and discriminatory views, it’s no wonder that membership in the Catholic church is falling fast and the number of young men training for the priesthood has cratered.
Apparently, though, all of that takes a backseat to spiritually bashing LGBT people. How profoundly sad.
h/t: Andy
I can’t get over the fact that so many Catholics are pro-equality. It just seems sooo improbable, I’d dearly love to know why of all the religious groups Catholics are so much more supportive.
Odd reasoning. Two brothers, two sisters or an uncle and his nephew already DO have hospital visitation. The RCC is in no position to lecture or advise on tax exemptions. Hitlers church at it again, sadly, still.
Any Minister that takes and turns away a soul from recieving anything from God is not a true Minister In Matthew it says not to turn away the poor in spirit or the I’ll so this make me see the sin that of the ArchBishop.Communion is only for the person to deside to take the minister or Archbishop can not see in the person Heart.So Thats wrong!
I don’t know why anyone that respected equal civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans would step foot inside a Catholic Church, so I don’t really know why this insane letter could do. The Catholic Church in NC gave $200,000 to the campaign that said “parents should slap their sissy children”. This was also the same campaign in which a senator’s wife said that the amendment was intended to “protect the Caucasian race.” I wouldn’t be caught anywhere near a church that would give money to such despicable political campaigns.
Seems the message is that, even though God gave you free choice and freedom to think and feel, if your thoughts and feelings don’t coincide with what the church tells you to think and feel, then no communion for you. We only want good little automatons. One has to be steeped in the faith to feel that denial of communion is a punishment. Say your prayers and know that (according to the church) God loves you. And the church is not a political entity? Yea!
If this the approach they want to take, and not just the pro-equality thing, but any dissent from church dogma, there’s going to be 1) a ton of shuttered parishes, or 2) a break with the Vatican. The church obviously hasn’t gotten the memo that they are not the only game in town anymore.
BREAK WITH THE VATICAN!!! Imagine many parishes breaking free of the Roman church and becoming independently evolving liberal spiritual bastions. Might be a good development for true freedom for all people, not just those favored by dogma. Henry VIII broke with Rome so he could bump his uglies with Anne Boleyn, and take the vast wealth of the church is England for himself. Ah the power of SEX the big bugaboo!!!
The church, according to Vatican II, is the people. This bishop and his fellow bishops are only a tiny fraction of the church – much less than 1%. They speak for themselves, not for the whole church.
Just because no guy would want his overly tight (I did not say firm) posterior, he has no excuse for being so hateful toward LGBT people. Not very Christ-like of him!
Like the romney campaign, the RCC’s hysterical anti-gay rhetoric stinks of desperation!
This morning I noted Cordelione’s cruel denial of the existence of fathers raising kids in his San Diego neighborhood. Here is more of the same:
He wrote that it is possible for gay people to be married to members of the opposite sex and live “good, faithful and even joyous married lives. It is a lie to say that they are living, or have lived, a lie.”
I’ve known a few couples in mixed-orientation marriages. They weren’t living a lie, but their truth included some long, difficult chapters, and they were the rare exceptions who found workable paths through to being together in happy, healthy relationships.
It is insanely cruel that Archbishop Myers slaps every couple whose mixed orientation marriage ended in divorce: “Couldn’t make it work? Lazy slobs!”
Even worse, adults in this man’s care are being taught that healthy mixed marriages are not just attainable, they are probably noble and holy sacrifices. Ughhhh.
Myers wouldn’t welcome the couples I’ve known to communion, anyway. The couples’ social circles were rich with other LGBT friends, men were out as gay or bi, and some of the couples had negotiated distinctions between fidelity to each other and sexual monogamy.
Yea..just live a lie in a closet! Come on..you can do it! Yak!!
These Catholic Bishops and Arch Nishops etc. All citing Regnerus “Gay Make Bad Parents” I sure as HECK WISH I could get more pro gay Journalists to write about the Corruption and Collusion in that study. Scot Rose via Freedom of Information Act Records shows that there was collusion between the Witherspoon Institute which gave Regnerus $685,000 and Regberus. This is a big story that is being ignored.
I have fully documented everything here with links to everything.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/106559992/Collusion-Corruption-New-Family-Structures-Study-Mark-Regnerus
Funny, as I’m pretty sure their precious Jesus Christ would say the exact opposite to what the Archbish claims. (Remember the story about the centurion and his “slave”? Jesus didn’t judge, just accepted.)
Wow. They hate us so much they won’t even talk to the people who are nice to us.
Breath-taking. Truly breath-taking.
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What about all the catholics who use birth control. I think they should not receive communion also.
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Further understanding the impact a new jersey can have and its characteristics undoubtfully helps. Well done…again. Thank you for the article John.