In the year since Soulforce last confronted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the following articles appeared in various new sources concerning the Catholic Church’s attempt to deny gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender people their basic human rights. Again this year the Church continues to focus its attacks, using repetition as a tool to convince people of the validity of their misguieded claims.
Nov. 17, 2004 Boston Globe, – PRIEST ASKS LAWMAKER TO QUIT CHOIR POST
A Catholic priest at St. Augustine Parish in Andover has asked state Representative Barbara A. L’Italien to step down as cantor and leader of the children’s choir because of the legislator’s support for abortion rights
and gay marriage.
Sun Dec 26, 4:06 PM – Yahoo News – AFP Features: Madrid: Church steps up campaign against gay marriage, slams homosexuality.
Spain’s powerful Catholic Church declared war on government plans to legalise "marriage" and adoption by gay couples, denying the concept of "sexual orientation" and branding homosexual behaviour "intrinsically bad." The socialist-dominated parliament voted in November to legalise gay marriages from next year and give gay couples the right to adopt children, making the historically conservative country one of the most liberal in Europe.
Dec. 23, 2004 365Gay.com London Bureau – Gays ‘Prisoners Of Sexual Aberration’ Cardinal Says
(Edinburgh) The Roman Catholic primate of Scotland says that gays are
like the prisoners in a local jail." There are so many in our communities who are captives – captives of drink, of drugs, of sexual aberrations," Cardinal Keith O’Brien told the Scottish Parliament during a Christmas service. "It’s not exactly a surprise if a Catholic church leader comes out and says homosexuality is a sexual aberration," O’Brien’s spokesperson told the Herald newspaper. "I don’t think anyone could claim to be surprised or shocked by his remarks – they’re Catholic viewpoints."
Jan. 2, 2004 Los Angeles Times,
ENROLLMENT OF GAYS’ SONS ROILS O.C. CATHOLIC SCHOOL
In a clash that pits Catholic teachings against shifting values of American society, a group of parishioners and parents has accused Orange County church leaders of defying Pope John Paul II by allowing a gay couple to enroll their two boys in a diocese school.
Eighteen people signed a letter last month demanding that St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa accept only families that sign a pledge to live by Catholic doctrine – a move that effectively would kick the boys out of school. The church regards homosexual acts as sinful, and in 2003 the pontiff condemned marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. "This is not a radical or mean-spirited approach to Catholic education," read the letter. "It is a straightforward assurance to any prospective parent that their child will be taught the fullness of Roman Catholic doctrine."
Jan. 17, 2005 Billings (MT) Gazette
BILL OUTLAWING BIAS TOWARD GAYS, LESBIANS DRAWS FIRE
HELENA — Montanans should be able to discriminate against gays and lesbians because their way of life threatens society and should be kept at bay, some critics said Monday in attacking a bill that would outlaw such discrimination under human-rights laws. "We want the right to say no to something we really think is wrong," said Jeanette Zentgraf, representing Concerned Women of America. Eric Schiedermayer of the Montana Catholic Conference said the church does not object to "just discrimination" against a lifestyle and behavior that is "contrary to the common good."
Jan/17/05 Edmonton.cbc.ca | CALGARY
Bishop wants government to act against gays
The government must suppress homosexuality and other behaviour deemed to hurt the family, Calgary’s Catholic Bishop Fred Henry says.
"Since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the state must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them in the interests of the common good," Henry, an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage, said in a pastoral letter read to congregations in southern Alberta.
Feb 22, 2005 Reuters New Service
GAY MARRIAGES ARE A NEW IDEOLOGY OF EVIL By Philip Pullella
ROME (Reuters) – Homosexual marriages are part of "a new ideology of evil" that is insidiously threatening society, Pope John Paul says in a new book published Tuesday. In "Memory and Identity," the Pope also calls abortion a "legal extermination" comparable to attempts to wipe out Jews and other groups in the 20th century.
21 March 05 SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
Bishop apologizes for barring Catholic funeral of gay nightclub owner
Brom promises to hold memorial mass at USD church
SAN DIEGO — The head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego apologized Monday to the family of gay nightclub owner John McCusker, less than a week after decreeing that McCusker couldn’t have a Catholic burial because of his "business activities," according to a statement released by McCusker’s family.
March 28, 2005 – Triangle Foundation Press Release
LESBIAN COUPLE FORBIDDEN IN CATHOLIC PARISH
Shunning Of Faithful Comes As Catholic Leaders Increase Anti-Gay Activism
(St. Clair Shores) – A lesbian couple has been turned away from St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church for no other reason than the fact that they are in a committed loving same-sex relationship. On a recent visit to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church Cheryl Mathers and her life-partner Mary Horon filled out a membership card to join the church but never received the promised materials in the mail to complete the process of joining. After numerous ignored phone calls and messages Father Michael Bugarin finally called Mary and said, "Oh you’re the gay lady." Mary replied by saying they were a gay couple and wanted to join the church. Bugarin replied with, "No, I cannot allow that. This is a family oriented church." (see Soulforce letter to Fr. Bugarin @https://soulforceactionarchives.org/denomination/rc/bugarinletter.shtml )
May 3, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) VATICAN,
Gay Marriage is "A Crime Which represents the Destruction of the World"
Gay Adoption "Destroy’s the Child’s Future" is "An Act of Moral Violence
Against the Child"
On the first business day after meeting privately with newly elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal AlfonsoL傔pez Trujillo, gave one of the strongest statements defending the traditional family in recent memory. Cardinal Trujillo said parliaments which "open the way for same sex ‘marriage’ . . . destroy piece by piece the institution of the family the most valuable heritage of peoples and humanity." He explained, "In these unions there are no promises for the partners or for the children, no stability, nothing before society or God, but they demand all the benefits of authentic marriage."
June 14, 2005 – L.A Times
Catholic School in O.C. Limits Gay Parents’ Role
An Orange County Catholic school that angered some parents by allowing a gay couple to enroll their two boys last year has drafted a policy that would forbid the men to appear as a couple at school functions, according to a memo distributed to teachers.
July 6, 2005 – Ottawa Citizen,
CHURCH SHUNS MP FOR BACKING GAY MARRIAGE
A Catholic MP who was denied communion by his priest for supporting same-sex marriage, says his faith has been used as a "political football" and his young family has stopped attending mass altogether as a result. Charlie Angus, the New Democratic MP for Timmins-James Bay, says his parish priest, who also heads the campaign against same-sex marriage in his diocese, threatened to limit his privileges at church if he did not toe the church’s line on the issue.
Jul. 10, 2005 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic
Catholic Priests Removed from Active Duty
Five of the nine Catholic priests who signed the pro-gay Phoenix Declaration no longer are on active duty in the Phoenix Diocese. Three of those who have left active duty say they were forced out by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. One other is seriously ill, and the fifth resigned on his own, in part because of philosophical differences with the bishop. They all signed a 2003 declaration endorsing civil rights for gays and lesbians that was endorsed by clergy members from several Christian denominations.
July 15, 2005 Montreal Gazette,
CHURCH RESTRICTS BAPTISM FOR CHILDREN OF SAME-SEX COUPLES
The Catholic church will not baptize the child of a same-sex couple if both parents insist on signing the certificate of baptism, the Conference of Catholic Bishops said yesterday. The position emerged after Independent Senator Marcel Prud’homme took issue with testimony from Cardinal Marc Ouellet Wednesday at Senate committee hearings into the same-sex marriage bill.
August 5, 2005 Arizona Republic,
PHOENIX DIOCESE BANS POLITICIANS WHO SUPPORT ABORTION, GAY RIGHTS
PHOENIX – Politicians who support issues like abortion and gay rights have been banned from speaking at Catholic churches in the Phoenix Diocese. So far, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano has been the only one affected by the edict from Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. Napolitano was forbidden to speak last year at a Catholic church in Scottsdale at an event opposing Proposition 200, a ballot measure that restricted the rights of undocumented immigrants. The event was moved to another site. In a letter to priests in December, Olmsted said churches may not host any politician or other public figure who disagrees with basic church teachings on abortion, gay marriage or other issues.
Aug. 17, 2005 – The Southern Voice
Catholic Archdiocese boots gay church from AIDS Facility in La.
MCC New Orleans has 90 days to find new place to worship
A predominately gay New Orleans church is being kicked out of a Catholic HIV/AIDS residential facility after the Catholic Archdiocese learned members support same-sex marriage. The Metropolitan Community Church of Greater New Orleans was told Aug. 4 it had 90 days to vacate its temporary space at the Project Lazarus complex, a Marigny AIDS hospice that is overseen by the Catholic Church.
Sep-7-2005 Catholic News Service
Archbishop: Seminaries should not accept even celibate homosexuals
The archbishop overseeing a Vatican-run inspection of U.S. seminaries said there is
ino room in seminaries for men with strong homosexual inclinations even if they have been celibate for a decade or more.
19-September-2005 — Catholic World News Brief
POPE APPROVES BARRING GAY SEMINARIANS
Pope Benedict XVI has given his approval to a new Vatican policy document indicating that men with homosexual tendencies should not be ordained as Catholic priests. The new document — which was prepared by the Congregation for Catholic Education, in response to a request made by the late Pope John Paul II in 1994 — will be published soon. It will take the form of an "Instruction," signed by the prefect and secretary of the Congregation, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski and Archbishop Michael Miller. The text, which was approved by Pope Benedict at the end of August, says that homosexual men should not be admitted to seminaries even if they are celibate, because their condition suggests a serious personality disorder which detracts from their ability to serve as ministers.