Gay advocates now believe they can tell the Church how to spend its money.
About one hundred protestors stood outside the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica on Sunday, angry with the archdiocese’s use of $10,000 in “private gifts” in a campaign to support traditional marriage in Maine.
Of course, many of the people there pretended that they were mad because they think the money could’ve gone to help local poor people or local Catholic schools. But in reality, this was a protest meant to scare bishops into not supporting traditional marriage in the future.
Guys like Ed Reggi who organized the protest talked to the media about the importance of the Church keeping the money local but Reggi is a gay advocate and organizer of “Show Me No Hate.” In a tell tale sign, he asked the crowd rhetorically. “Why not fund love, archbishop?”
You’ve got to love that gay advocates feel that they are entitled to tell an Archbishop what he’s allowed to spend the Church’s money on. St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson didn’t agree they had the right.
St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson released a statement in response to Sunday’s protest, saying the donation came from a “special needs fund” supported with “private gifts” that is not used for formal operations. The fund, used at the archbishop’s discretion, has provided help to other dioceses for such causes as disaster relief and abortion issues.
“We do have the obligation as Catholics to carry out Christ’s teachings, whether in the privacy of our own home or in the public square,” Carlson said.
Of course, some “concerned Christians” at the protest said they believed that the Church should be stripped of its tax exemption because it is involved in politics. That, of course, is ludicrous. The Church should not be forced into silence by the government or by gay advocates.
Expect more of this in the future.
Here’s a local news story on the protest:
One interesting note was that James O’Keefe of the now famous ACORN Pimp videos and the Lila Rose pro-life videos was present at the protest. Reggi said it was O’Keefe showing support for the cause but I have my doubts.
December 1, 2009 at 2:57 am
Since when did saying we should not kill our children or starve old people to death become a matter of politics?
Apparently, I was also uninformed when the recognition of marriage as a sacred union between man and woman was put up to partisan debate.
December 1, 2009 at 4:58 am
The "this money should have been spent locally on the poor" is a load of manure. If the bishop had sent money to Voice of the Faithful, none of these guys would have said boo.
December 1, 2009 at 9:19 am
This is why Fr. Corapi refues to get tax exempt status for his organization, so that the government can't tell him what to say or do.
PS Agree with your evaluation on O'Keefe & Lila Rose.
December 1, 2009 at 12:34 pm
It was so very sad that I had to walk out of a most beautifully celebrated mass to be greeted with this obnoxious crowd! It was really fun to try and explain who they were to my young children! (It is crazy how innocents and family values are trampled upon in our lives and Mothers and Fathers must be so vigilant in protecting the eyes and ears of our young!).
I am proud of my Archbishop because he was helping the poor with our money. In this case it was defending my poor family (and all people of good will) who are daily bombarded by outrageous secular culture attacks and skewed philosophies!
December 1, 2009 at 2:36 pm
So when the Bishops chided the public over issues of segregation back in the 1950s and 60s, should we have lost our tax exempt status for meddling in politics?
Segregation was the law, after all. And we disagreed with it and spoke out against it.
If they didn't have double standards, they wouldn't have any.
December 1, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Let us pray for those who are so sorely afflicted with devastating disorders of the soul, mind and body…that the Lord may grant them peace.
December 1, 2009 at 8:32 pm
The protesters are deranged, uninformed, hateful bigots.
December 3, 2009 at 7:58 am
For the record this event was co-sponsored by the Catholic Action Network, and had many Catholics from St. Stan, St. Cronin, St. Margaret of Scotland and Sts. Peter & Paul all participating in the event.
Whether you believe us or not, many Catholics do not agree with the Archbishop with the sending of money to finance political campaigns over feeding the poor. The fact remains that Archbishop Carlson sent $10K to Maine while this week he announces the kick off of Catholic Charities Annual Appeal to raise $1.8 million.
Why are you forcing your Canon Law into our State's Constitutions? What right does Archbishop Carlson have to write his faith into our American civil laws dealing with civil marriage?
December 3, 2009 at 3:11 pm
"Why are you forcing your Canon Law into our State's Constitutions? What right does Archbishop Carlson have to write his faith into our American civil laws dealing with civil marriage?"
What right do gay agitators have in demanding that a Christian nation overturn 5,000 years of Judeo-Christian moral tradition that has bound our societies together for the sake of an immoral itch better served by contrition, humility, and amending one's life to conformity with Christ? That you found a few "progressively Christian" disordered allies is not surprising…what is surprising is just how very few you actually are for all the commotion you make.
December 3, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Good for Bob Carlson. He sat forever under the wing of crappy bishops in St. Paul. It is nice to see him stick his neck out in a good way.
What is up with those gay dudes complaining that they want the money spent on school children? Not the best advertisement for their cause, those lispy, overweight guys in Prada scarves who always think of "the children" first. Creep me out.