Maryland Catholic Priest Breaks With Church To Urge Marriage Equality

[LadyOfSorrows]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/maryland-catholic-priest-breaks-with-church-to-urg

May not be the best link, but someone at my university posted it. Unfortunately, it's from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and I'm not surprised. I don't live too far from the area. Is there anything the Archbishop can do with this priest? Kind of an unfortunate situation...

[LadyOfSorrows]

Better article:

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16085

[vee]

[LadyOfSorrows]

Also, sidenote: The person who posted this article on Facebook attends this parish and said that he feels welcomed there. I commented that homosexuals should feel welcome at any Catholic parish, and that the Church is not discriminary just because it doesn't advocate for gay marriage. The real battle is with churches like Westboro Baptist. I was promptly deleted. I'll have you know that he is an employee at our Catholic University...who's the intolerant one?

Edited November 5, 2012 by LadyOfSorrows

[Ed Normile]

Its a shame to see a priest who has drifted into heresy, and from the reaction of his parishioners it seems his teaching has been severely lacking. To get a standing ovation for his "sermon" would mean that at least 2/3rds of his parishioners at that mass agreed with him and maybe the rest were to uncomfortable not to join in. Lets pray for this priest, and his flock.

ed

[qfnol31]

Up until last year that diocese was run by Cardinal O'Brien. I'm not sure what would have happened, but I imagine Archbishop Lori will come out against this priest in some way. Archbishop Lori is one of the leading voices on religious freedom, which the Church recognizes as intimately connected to this particular issue.

I really hope he comes out against the priest, at least. This is really sad. I'm just glad it wasn't in my diocese (down the road).

[GregorMendel]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1352089158' post='2504304']
Its a shame to see a priest who has drifted into heresy, and from the reaction of his parishioners it seems his teaching has been severely lacking.

ed
[/quote]

What makes you say that his teaching is lacking? Just because those parishoners are of the same opinion?

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='GregorMendel' timestamp='1352142151' post='2504612']

What makes you say that his teaching is lacking? Just because those parishoners are of the same opinion?
[/quote]
I think that is a fair inference to make. If you show me a Catholic parish that is largely in support of something against Church teaching, then I think it would be easy to point out serious deficiencies in how they have been catechized. I would also go so far as to say that almost certainly their liturgical environment is quite poor. It all goes together.

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='GregorMendel' timestamp='1352142151' post='2504612']

What makes you say that his teaching is lacking? Just because those parishoners are of the same opinion?
[/quote]

Not just because they have the same opinion. He's teaching his parishioners that one day the Church will recognize gay marriage as equal and no different from heterosexual marriage.

Regardless of his own position, the priest has an obligation to teach his parishioners what the Church teaches, and to defend Church teaching. As a minister he is a public representative of the Church, and thus loses the right to express his own personal opinion publicly speaking as a priest when it contradicts Church teaching. It's no different from an enlisted military person criticizing his commander.