Catholic Parishioners Clash Over Gay Rights
 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,121345,00.html

Anyone else heard about this?

In my opinion, I think they're just using the Eucharist to forward their own political and personal agendas. If this were not the case, then why would they feel the need to have press conferences, call press and have them attend mass, and then go all over the news about it. The journalist and photographers in the select churches involved created quite the distraction and disturbance during mass, from what I understand.

It's my opinion that Biblically, the choice to give the Eucharist does not belong to the priest giving it, his bishop or even the Pope. "Communion" is between God and the person taking the Eucharist. Unfortunately, as we saw in some of the sexual coverups in the Catholic Church, a few of our clergymen have oversized egos.

There is also the case in Southern Colorado where the local Bishop has threatened not to allow anyone who votes for a candidate who favors abortion to take communion.

Not being Catholic, I'm not going to comment other than to say that I think the first sentence of KT's response above has a lot of merit.

This issue has come up at Mass up here.... The Catholic Church has politics within itself too (much like any group) some are conservative, some are liberal... from what I have seen the conservatives favour more power for the church in politics, whereas the liberals want to maintain the seperation of church and state the way it is currently.... It'll be interesting to see what the priest up by my cottage thinks; he was a theological and ethics professor at the Vatican for a couple of decades before he "retired" to the small town of his birth. While he has had views that I don't agree with (on homosexual issue) he does encourage debate and discussion after mass... and his sermons regularly cover the history behind Church policies or the history of biblical interpretations (so far my favourite is the Eye of the Needle one...)

Lol like the Bishop is going to know who people voted for unless they make it well known. I know if I ever go to mass and they don't let me take communion since I voted for Kerry I would make a big fuss even if it was in church. The church is shooting itself in the foot and will drive even more people away. They should have learned after the priest scandel.

I had forgotten in the Southern Colorado case that some group has gone to the IRS to ask that the Diocese (Sp?) be stripped of it's non-profit status. I didn't listen carefully to the story, but something to do with separation of church and state (politics).

If I remember my non-profit definitions correctly, 501c(3) (which I guess churches are), are not allowed to advocate any kind of political position.

Which leaves me wondering how the Rainbow Coalition has maintained its funding... but that's another thread entirely :D

Just like any large group, you are going to get a lot of freakos. Even in high places. I know that as a whole, the Catholic church is going to continue hating the sin, and loving the sinner.

What he said...

I think that the priests/bishops who are making these statements are the politically ambitious ones, and I hope that these ambitions destroy their careers. I think the leaders of the Church should be the ones who aren't actively campaigning for it, because the ones who do that want the power more than the responsibility.

You must be Catholic :D

I couldn't have said that better myself. When in Catholic school, I participated in mass at many churches (as a musician) and got to know several priests. I was able to also get to know the former archbishop of this archdiocese. What you say rings true. Some of these guys have these huge egos that warrant constant funding drives to add a new building or two, etc.. On the other hand, if they don't do these things, they are relegated to a smaller parish.

The most humble and best educated priest that I've gotten to know in the area speaks 8 languages and has his PHD in Economics. He was recently relegated from the quickest growing (nice looking place with horrible accoustics for music) parish to a very small spanish speaking parish in the not so nice part of town.

The politics and ego issues have had horrible consequences. The coverups related to the pedophilia issues are prime examples of church leaders writing checks with their egos that their butts can't cash. I hope that recent events have shown some the error of their ways, but this kind of news story seems to say otherwise.