Some things never change. One of the unshakable axioms of the Catholic church is that bishops who toe the line get promoted. This morning, the Vatican presented American Catholics with exhibit A when it announced that New York archbishop and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops president Timothy Dolan will be elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI next month.

Considering that the New York archdiocese is widely regarded as the spiritual heart of the Catholic church in America and that eight out of New York’s ten archbishops have been named cardinals, it was only a matter of time before Dolan got the red hat. Still, given the great deal of respect Dolan’s peers have for the archbishop, the visibility of his current office, and the fact that his charm and media savvy have made him the de facto face of the American Catholic church, many people were surprised that it took Rome this long to move on his promotion.

I find it particularly telling that Benedict only created Dolan a cardinal after he made the fight against marriage equality a top priority of both his episcopate and the USCCB. In New York, Dolan spearheaded the opposition to the state’s marriage equality law. While the bill was being debated, Archbishop Dolan frantically worked to torpedo it, saying that allowing loving and committed same-sex couples the freedom to marry would turn the State of New York into a communist dictatorship. He called marriage equality “perilous,” “detrimental for the common good,” and a “violation of what we consider natural law that’s embedded in every man and woman.” He railed against same-sex marriage in a series of blog posts, characterizing it as “Orwellian social engineering.” In the same post, he compared marriage equality to polygamy, and went further in an interview on 60 Minutes in March, saying “I love my mom. I don’t have the right to marry her.”

Dolan’s anti-gay rhetoric didn’t stop after the law passed. He whined that he had been tricked by the politicians who cast their votes for fairness and lied that Catholic churches in his diocese were being threatened with lawsuits intended to force them to perform same-sex weddings, despite the fact that the law explicitly prohibited such suits. And he doubled down on his rhetoric about the “threat” to marriage posed by loving same-sex couples, comparing their marriages to “polygamy, adultery, and forced marriages.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has taken a similarly aggressive tack under Dolan’s leadership, forming a so-called subcommittee “for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage” dedicated to opposing equal marriage rights. This group is so extreme that its Policy Advisor for Marriage and Family, Daniel Avila, was forced to resign late last year after publishing an inflammatory column in which he stated that homosexuality is caused by Satan.

Apparently, engaging in consistent spiritual abuse of LGBT people so endeared him to Catholic leaders in Rome that they gave him a promotion. The worst part? All cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a papal conclave (election). Benedict XVI is in failing health, and Dolan’s young age (at 61, he’s a veritable spring chicken among his fellow cardinals, whose average age in 2010 was 78) ensures that he’ll be able to help vote another anti-gay pope into office after the current one dies, and is likely to be able to repeat the feat at least once more. And the cycle of institutional homophobia in the Catholic church continues.

Just when you thought Minnesota’s Catholic bishops couldn’t sink any lower into the cesspool of anti-gay bigotry, Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt posts a letter to the local diocesan website that injects a prayer for marriage discrimination into the Catholic Mass itself.

Nienstedt writes that he is “pleased” to offer the following prayer, “meant for use within the Holy Mass as part of the Prayer of the Faithful,” for the explicit purpose of “assist[ing] in the strengthening of our state-wide efforts to defend marriage in our civil constitution:”

Heavenly Father,

Through the powerful intercession of the Holy Family, grant to this local Church the many graces we need to foster, strengthen, and support faith-filled, holy marriages and holy families.

May the vocation of married life, a true calling to share in your own divine and creative life, be recognized by all believers as a source of blessing and joy, and a revelation of your own divine goodness.

Grant to us all the gift of courage to proclaim and defend your plan for marriage, which is the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong, exclusive relationship of loving trust, compassion, and generosity, open to the conception of children.

We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.

The archbishop’s letter also “encourage[s] the posting of the prayer within Eucharistic Adoration chapels, along with an encouragement to adorers to pray for the success of the amendment and all efforts to strengthen marriage.”

There is absolutely no defense on any level for this kind of malicious, disgusting hatred. Nienstedt’s text is anything but a “prayer,” but instead is an overt attempt to cloak a set of anti-gay political talking points with the mantle of faith. The Archbishop even stoops so low as to use the Eucharist, which is sacred to LGBT and non-LGBT Catholics alike, as a weapon in the fight to exclude loving same-sex couples from marriage in Minnesota. This latest affront is religion-based bigotry in its most putrid, vile form.

This isn’t the first time that Minnesota’s Catholic bishops have specifically encouraged their priests and congregants to use parish time, facilities, and resources to push for the passage of the state’s proposed ban on same-sex marriage. In September 2010, the bishops produced and mailed a DVD attacking marriage equality to all registered Catholic households. And in another letter this fall, Nienstedt directed parish priests to form committees in their churches devoted “…to educat[ing] the faithful about the church’s teachings on [marriage], and to vigorously organiz[ing] and support[ing] a grass-roots effort to get out the vote to support the passage of this amendment.” The Archbishop called it “imperative that we marshal our resources” in this fight.

And as a side note: Archbishop Nienstedt’s contemptible “prayer” is just the latest example of Catholic churches and dioceses engaging in nakedly political activity in violation of the Internal Revenue Code. The tax-exempt status of these serial lawbreakers needs to be revoked. Exactly why aren’t they being investigated already?

Note: this op-ed was originally published in the Wisconsin Gazette.

Earlier this month I visited Milwaukee to attend the Call to Action National Conference, a gathering of progressive Catholics from around the country, and introduce pro-LGBT attendees to the organization I work for, Truth Wins Out.

Many readers will understandably balk at the words “progressive,” “pro-LGBT,” and “Catholic” appearing in the same sentence. However, these words and concepts are far more compatible than many people realize.

Not that equality-minded people could be blamed for thinking otherwise. After all, the Catholic Church and its affiliates vociferously push an insidious anti-gay agenda. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan was the most outspoken opponent of the state’s marriage equality law. Minnesota’s Catholic bishops are leading the charge to add an anti-gay amendment to that state’s constitution, calling the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples a “top priority” in 2012 and using tax-exempt church resources for political purposes.

The Knights of Columbus, a lay Catholic group, bankrolls the National Organization for Marriage, which fights against the civil rights of LGBT people across the country. In fact, in 2009 the Knights spent more money fighting marriage equality than they did on all other social programs, such as food banks and food drives, combined.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops formed a Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage in order to organize and galvanize opposition to same-sex marriage nationwide. (Dan Avila, the bishops’ Policy Advisor for Marriage, was forced to resign this month after publishing a column in which he stated that homosexuality was caused by the devil.)

And the Catholic Church even has its own “apostolate” for gay people, called Courage, which counsels members to abandon their natural sexuality for a lifetime of celibacy and endorses the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, a leading proponent of “ex-gay” conversion therapy.

But the bigotry of the Catholic hierarchy is only part of the story. In fact, the beliefs of the rank-and-file Catholic faithful couldn’t be more different. Recent polls have repeatedly shown that a majority support granting same-gender couples the freedom to marry.

A survey released in March by the Public Religion Research Institute, billed as “the most comprehensive portrait of Catholic attitudes on gay and lesbian issues assembled to date,” found that a large majority of American Catholics – a whopping 71 percent –support civil marriage equality for same-sex couples. It further states that “Catholics are more supportive of legal recognitions of same-sex relationships than members of any other Christian tradition and Americans overall” and that “Catholic support for rights for gays and lesbian people is strong and slightly higher than the general public.”

Perhaps most revealing, though, is the PRRI’s finding that “less than 4-in-10 Catholics (39 percent) give their own church top marks … on its handling of the issue of homosexuality.”

Social justice has long been an important component of the Catholic faith tradition. The Church is outspoken in its support of labor unions (Pope John Paul II even asserted the fundamental principle of “the priority of labor over capital” in a 1981 encyclical.), immigrants and financial reform, as well as its opposition to capital punishment. American Catholics appear to view the issue of LGBT equality as one of social justice as well, consciously rejecting the bigotry of their religious leaders in much the same way they reject the official prohibition on contraception (98 percent of Catholics use forms of contraception banned by the Church).

So let’s resist the impulse to stereotype all Catholics as anti-gay extremists. After all, our community knows the sting of prejudice all too well. Instead, work together with pro-equality Catholics, as Truth Wins Out and many other organizations are doing already.

Let’s speak out together against the Catholic Church’s institutionalized bigotry and work towards a society that’s truly just for all people.

Remember Daniel Avila, the Massachusetts attorney who advises the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on marriage policy (AKA how to exclude same-sex couples from marriage using any means necessary)? The one who wrote an opinion piece in the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston calling homosexuality a “natural disaster” and saying that homosexuality is caused by Satan entering the wombs of unsuspecting pregnant women and wreaking havoc with their hormones?

Well, after Truth Wins Out and others got wind of his vile comments, the story generated a bit of a firestorm. Being a former member of the Catholic Church, I knew that Avila’s words went too far even for the flagrantly homophobic American bishops. Consequently, TWO made sure our press release condemning Avila was sent directly to both the newspaper that published his remarks (the Boston Pilot) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops themselves.

Today, both the Boston Pilot and Daniel Avila issued statements apologizing for the publication of the piece, which was also removed from the newspaper’s website. Judging by the tenor of Mr. Avila’s remarks, it looks like the paper and/or the American bishops gave him quite the dressing-down. Both apologies, which can also be found here, are reprinted in full below.

From the Boston Pilot:

Editor’s Note: Daniel Avila issued the following “Retraction/Apology” Nov. 2 in regard to his opinion piece “Some fundamental questions on same-sex attraction” which was published in our Oct. 28 edition. In addition to echoing Mr. Avila’s statement of regret, The Pilot also wishes to apologize for having failed to recognize the theological error in the column before publication. The Pilot has removed the column ‘Some fundamental questions on same-sex attraction’ from its Website.

And the “retraction/apology” from Daniel Avila:

“Statements made in my column, ‘Some fundamental questions on same-sex attraction’ of October 28, do not represent the position of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the column was not authorized for publication as is required policy for staff of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The teaching of Sacred Scripture and of the Catechism of the Catholic Church make it clear that all persons are created in the image and likeness of God and have inviolable dignity. Likewise, the Church proclaims the sanctity of marriage as the permanent, faithful, fruitful union of one man and one woman. The Church opposes, as I do too, all unjust discrimination and the violence against persons that unjust discrimination inspires. I deeply apologize for the hurt and confusion that this column has caused.”

Truth Wins Out is proud to have played a part in stemming the tide of even greater anti-LGBT hostility from the leaders of the American Catholic Church.

Avila at the Values Voter Summit a few weeks ago:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Contact: Wayne Besen, Executive Director
Phone: 917-691-5118
Email: wbesen@truthwinsout.org

BURLINGTON, Vt – Truth Wins Out condemned Massachusetts attorney Daniel Avila today for calling homosexuality a “natural disaster” caused by Satan invading the wombs of mothers of LGBT children. Avila, who serves as Policy Advisor for Marriage and Family to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, made the inflammatory remarks in an article for the Boston Pilot, the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. In the article, he discussed a theory that homosexuality is caused by “random imbalances in maternal hormone levels,” which he falsely labeled as “the most widely accepted scientific hypothesis.” Avila went on to say:

“…the scientific evidence of how same-sex attraction most likely may be created provides a credible basis for a spiritual explanation that indicts the devil. Any time natural disasters occur, we as people of faith look back to Scripture’s account of those angels who rebelled and fell from grace. In their anger against God, these malcontents prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. They continue to do all they can to mar, distort and destroy God’s handiwork.

Therefore, whenever natural causes disturb otherwise typical biological development, leading to the personally unchosen beginnings of same-sex attraction, the ultimate responsibility, on a theological level, is and should be imputed to the evil one, not God.”

“Avila’s bizarre theories are unscientific and defamatory,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “Telling Catholic mothers with LGBT children that Satan entered their womb and caused their child’s homosexuality is spiritual abuse of the highest order.”

“It is outrageous for an official advisor to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to make such an appalling statement at all, much less in the approved newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston,” added John Becker, Truth Wins Out’s Director of Communications and Development. “The USCCB and the Boston Archdiocese must unequivocally condemn Avila’s bigoted remarks, or explain to LGBT Catholics and their parents why they refuse to do so.”

While the Catholic Church has increased its public anti-gay efforts in recent years, Avila’s words directly contradict those of the American Catholic Bishops in their 1997 pastoral letter entitled Always Our Children, which gave a far more nuanced view of the topic of homosexuality:

“…it seems appropriate to understand sexual orientation (heterosexual or homosexual) as a deep-seated dimension of one’s personality and to recognize its relative stability in a person. A homosexual orientation produces a stronger emotional and sexual attraction toward individuals of the same sex, rather than toward those of the opposite sex… There seems to be no single cause of a homosexual orientation. A common opinion of experts is that there are multiple factors—genetic, hormonal, psychological—that may give rise to it. Generally, homosexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosen. By itself, therefore, a homosexual orientation cannot be considered sinful, for morality presumes the freedom to choose.”

The bishops’ letter also told parents of gay children not to reject them in a society full of violence and discrimination, that “God does not love someone any less simply because he or she is homosexual,” and that “the Christian community should offer its homosexual sisters and brothers understanding and pastoral care.”

“There is nothing remotely understanding or caring about Avila’s anti-gay smears,” said Becker. “His statements are in direct conflict with those of the bishops he counsels, and contribute to the continued marginalization of LGBT Catholics and their families within their church communities.”

Added Besen: “If America’s Catholic bishops are looking to Daniel Avila for advice about the LGBT community, it’s no wonder that so many fair-minded people are leaving the Catholic Church for other, more reasonable and rational denominations.”

Truth Wins Out (TWO) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a world where LGBT individuals can live openly, honestly and true to themselves. TWO fights anti-LGBT religious extremism, monitors anti-LGBT organizations, documents their lies and exposes their leaders. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.

– 30 –

Daniel Avila (whom you may remember from one of Wayne’s reports from the Values Voter Summit) is the “Policy Advisor for Marriage and Family” to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage — he describes himself as “the bishops’ marriage guy.” In a recent article for the Boston Pilot, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, he discussed a theory (which he falsely labeled as “the most widely accepted scientific hypothesis”) that homosexuality is caused by “random imbalances in maternal hormone levels.” And so Mr. Avila concludes:

…the scientific evidence of how same-sex attraction most likely may be created provides a credible basis for a spiritual explanation that indicts the devil. Any time natural disasters occur, we as people of faith look back to Scripture’s account of those angels who rebelled and fell from grace. In their anger against God, these malcontents prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. They continue to do all they can to mar, distort and destroy God’s handiwork.

Therefore, whenever natural causes disturb otherwise typical biological development, leading to the personally unchosen beginnings of same-sex attraction, the ultimate responsibility, on a theological level, is and should be imputed to the evil one, not God.

Their marriage policy advisor says that homosexuality comes from Satan, but don’t you dare call them bigots!

What a disgusting slap in the face to LGBT Catholics and Catholic parents — in particular, mothers — of LGBT children. No wonder so many are leaving that church.

h/t: Bilerico’s Michael Hamar and Right Wing Watch’s Peter Montgomery.

Avila at Value Voters Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Becker, Director of Communications and Development
Phone: 920-265-6023
Email: john@truthwinsout.org

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Truth Wins Out, the national nonprofit organization that fights anti-LGBT religious extremism and the “ex-gay” myth, announced today that it is sending activist John Becker to the Call to Action National Conference at Milwaukee’s Frontier Airlines Center from November 4-6. Becker conducted a recent hidden-camera sting operation that proved that the clinic run by presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, practices so-called “ex-gay” therapy.

“I’m thrilled to travel to the Call to Action conference and meet with progressive Catholics from around the country who are fed up with the aggressive anti-LGBT agenda of their religious leaders,” said Becker, Director of Communications and Development for Truth Wins Out. “In the face of unrelenting bigotry from the Catholic hierarchy, right-wing Catholic laypeople, and the Knights of Columbus, it’s critical for equality-minded Catholics to stand up for inclusive values and speak out against religious extremism.”

The Catholic Church and its affiliates vociferously push an insidious anti-gay agenda. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan was the most outspoken opponent of that state’s marriage equality law. Minnesota’s Catholic bishops are currently leading the charge to add an anti-gay amendment to the state constitution, calling the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples a “top priority” in 2012 and using tax-exempt church resources for political purposes. The Knights of Columbus bankrolls the National Organization for Marriage, a group that fights against the civil rights of LGBT people across the country. And the Catholic Church even has its own “apostolate” for gay people, called Courage, that counsels members to abandon their natural sexuality for a lifetime of celibacy and endorses the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, a leading proponent of “ex-gay” conversion therapy.

“This extremism is totally out of step with the values of the vast majority of American Catholics,” said Becker. “I look forward to introducing attendees at the Call to Action conference to the important work of Truth Wins Out and encouraging them to continue standing up for LGBT equality in their churches and dioceses.”

Truth Wins Out (TWO) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a world where LGBT individuals can live openly, honestly and true to themselves. TWO monitors anti-LGBT organizations, documents their lies and exposes their leaders. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.

– 30 –

From The Guardian newspaper in the UK:

The launch of an iphone app that guides Catholics through confession has prompted a furious response from gay rights groups, who accuse it of “promoting anti-gay spiritual abuse”.

Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, a group that campaigns on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people, accused the app of “helping to create neurotic individuals who are ashamed of who they are”.

“This is cyber spiritual abuse that promotes backward ideas in a modern package,” said Besen. “Gay Catholics don’t need to confess, they need to come out of the closet and challenge anti-gay dogma. The false idea that being gay is something to be ashamed of has destroyed too many lives. This iPhone app is facilitating and furthering the harm.”

Gay rights groups have become concerned at the use of technology to target minorities. Besen pointed to the Manhattan Declaration app, which was released last October on the back of a 5,000-word petition drawn up by several Christian groups, and opposed LGBT rights and gay marriage. A furore among liberal commentators prompted iTunes to pull the app from its store.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Wayne Besen, Executive Director
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org

LGBT Catholics Shouldn’t Confess, They Should Come Out, Says TWO

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Truth Wins Out today condemned an iPhone App, designed to guide Catholics through confession. Among one of many offensive questions asked on, “Confession: A Roman Catholic App”, is “Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity.”

“This is cyber spiritual abuse that promotes backward ideas in a modern package,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director, Wayne Besen. “Gay Catholics don’t need to confess, they need to come out of the closet and challenge anti-gay dogma. The false idea that being gay is something to be ashamed of has destroyed too many lives. This iPhone App is facilitating and furthering the harm.”

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote about the downloadable software today. Three young men in South Bend, Indiana designed it with the help of  two socially conservative priests. According to iTunes, the App is ranked No. 22 in sales worldwide.

“When a person feels his or her most innate feelings of sexuality and love are sinful, it denies them a healthy connection to humanity,” said TWO’s Besen. “This app is helping to create neurotic individuals who are ashamed of who they are. The creators of this device are the true sinners and they need to confess for the damage they are doing in the name of religion.”

The app says it is: “Designed to be used in the confessional, this app is the perfect aid for every penitent. With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step-guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance.”

Recently, there has been concern that the Catholic Church is becoming more anti-gay and intolerant. The organization Catholics for Equality recently voiced unease over new funding from the Dioceses of Oakland and Colorado Springs for the establishment of chapters of the “ex-gay” organization Courage. This organization has traditionally focused on celibacy for gay people, because it has worked so well for priests.

Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that fights anti-LGBT religious extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.

NY Times Reports:

Marco Rubio, the charismatic senator-elect from Florida, is in many ways similar to other Cuban-American politicians from his home state: conservative, Republican and a “practicing and devout Roman Catholic,” in the words of his spokesman, one who “regularly attends Catholic Mass” and “was baptized, confirmed and married in the Roman Catholic Church.”

But while Mr. Rubio, 39, presented himself on his Florida Statehouse Web site and in interviews as a Roman Catholic, bloggers and journalists have noted since his election that he regularly worships at an evangelical megachurch whose theology is plainly at odds with Catholic teaching.

For much of the last decade, Mr. Rubio has attended Christ Fellowship with his wife and children. He “comes very regularly to worship service” at the church’s Palmetto Bay campus, said Eric Geiger, the executive pastor. According to Mr. Rubio’s campaign Web site, he contributed almost $50,000 to Christ Fellowship from 2005 to 2008.

At lease one priest thinks Rubio’s religious flip-flopping is odd.

“I don’t think this is very common,” Father Elizondo said. “I know that some Catholics switch for a while and then return, and some switch and never return, but I really don’t know of any who claim to be Catholic but attend another church.”

Maybe Rubio is different  because most people are not opportunistic “Family Values” politicians who play both sides of the religious fence to get money and votes. It does appear that Rubio is waffling on worship to appeal to more than one constituency in Florida.