he Archdiocese of Boston commanded St. Cecilia’s Church in the city’s Back Bay neighborhood not to go forward with a mass for GLBT people of faith over Pride weekend. But the spirit could not be suppressed: Local gays, and the church’s pastor, spoke out with messages of love and community. The Rev. John Unni made it clear that in his church, worshipers of all stripes would be accepted into the fellowship.
"You are welcome here, gay or straight, rich or poor, young or old, black or white," declared the Catholic priest in the course of the next scheduled mass. "Here, you all can say, ’I can worship the God who made me as I am.’"
"We are not this renegade, crazy, liberal church," Unni told his parishioners. "We’re just Christians trying to live the gospel."
All right, Fr John!
The archdiocese spokesperson, Terrence C. Donilon, sought to cast the hierarchy’s response in terms of love.
"The teachings of the Catholic Church are set in stone, but that doesn’t stop us from loving people from different walks of life." he said.
Methinks the archdiocesan hierarchy sought but did not find. What I said in the comments at OCICBW:
Grandmère Mimi said...
"The teachings of the Catholic Church are set in stone...."
How does the Spirit move in stone? It doesn't. Fr John follows the Wind, the Breath of God. Thanks be to God for Fr John and others like him, who are not weighed down by the stone, but are rather swept aloft by the Wind.
Please do read MadPriest's brief commentary, which is - how shall I put it? - edgy, to say the least.
From Ann Fontaine at The Lead.
Bishop Larry Provenzano, of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, signed a statement by the Empire State Pride Agenda and its Pride in the Pulpit arm, which says in part:
It would be a blessing if New York were to allow loving, committed gay and lesbian couples to be married. We call on the Legislature to pass this legislation for the good of these couples and for the good of our great State.
Read the rest of the statement at The Lead or at the diocesan website.
Thank you, Bishop Provanzano. You and others like you make me proud to be an Episcopalian.
The teachings of the Catholic Church are set in stone
ReplyDeleteYep. This is why they still excommunicate scientists who suggest that the earth orbits the sun.
Jarred, what assholery, eh?
ReplyDeletePretty much.
ReplyDelete"Thank you, Bishop Provanzano. You and others like you make me proud to be an Episcopalian."
ReplyDeleteI'll add "Me, too!"
You may want to read IT's 'compare and contrast' post at The Friends of Jake. She compares the response by Roman Catholic Abp. Timothy Dolan with Bishop Provenzano's response.
ReplyDelete