He Was a Gay Man on Staff at a Catholic Parish. Then the Threats Began Coming In.

[Eugene]

Source: New York Times

He Was a Gay Man on Staff at a Catholic Parish. Then the Threats Began Coming In.

By Laurie Goodstein
Dec. 29, 2018

SAN DIEGO — When Antonio Aaron Bianco arrived for work at his Roman Catholic church office on a recent Monday morning, he was rattled to discover that someone had broken into the conference room and spray-painted a message in large yellow letters on the wall. It said “No Fags.”

For Mr. Bianco, a gay layman in charge of managing St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the break-in was just another terrifying omen. Two weeks earlier, someone tried to set the sanctuary doors on fire before the early Sunday Mass. Before that, a stranger swung a punch at Mr. Bianco after Mass one day. For months he had received anonymous phone calls and letters with messages like “Sodomites not welcome in the church.”

Located in the heart of San Diego’s largest gay neighborhood, St. John the Evangelist is one of about 300 Catholic parishes around the country that quietly welcome gay Catholics. Although the Catholic church teaches that same-sex relationships are sinful, growing pockets of the church have accepted openly gay parishioners, staff members and even priests.

But after this summer, when the church faced renewed allegations of clergy sexual abuse, some bishops and conservative Catholic media outlets immediately blamed the crisis on homosexuality. That set off a backlash, fueling a campaign to purge the church of gay clergy members and church workers.

More than 1,700 people signed a petition started in August demanding that the archbishop of Atlanta “remove priests who promote the L.G.B.T. agenda from public ministry” and stop supporting parishes known to welcome gay people. In Chicago, a priest burned a rainbow flag and led parishioners in a “prayer of exorcism.” For the first time, protesters showed up outside an annual spiritual retreat of gay priests in Wisconsin in October. In November, bishops attending a conference in Baltimore were greeted by Catholics holding signs saying “All Homosexual Cardinals, Bishops and Priests MUST RESIGN!”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/29/us/catholic-church-gay-members.html

[3Hotdogs]

1. During WW II, Eisenhower was presented with the idea of getting rid of all gay W.A.C.s. -- or maybe

he thought it up all by hisself. Anyway a subordinate officer explained that if itwas followed through, there would be few female support staff left to perform clerical, medical and other duties that had been performed by W.A.C.'s.

The plan was quietly abandoned.

Now, I wonder if all gay cardinals, bishops and priests left, who would be left to pray for their sorry souls?

[lambchopp59]

2. Going on 200 years past the brutality of the Inquisition

Self righteous fools are still attempting to find and torture "heretics".

[RKP5637]

3. Absolutely disgusting. These F'en people that think they are so god damn perfect. Fuck them!!!

As the asshole called president turns America into a cauldron of hatred.