Fr. Gary “Loud and Proud” Meier, an openly gay priest, is cheering the Supreme Court’s decision that was hailed as “tragic” by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Fr. Meier, writing in the HuffPo, said Catholics should celebrate the ruling:
There will be a lot of celebrating this year at Pride events throughout the country especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on gay marriage. But can Catholics celebrate? Yes — and they should.
Not surprisingly, the Catholic Church has already begun to soften their position on same-sex unions. But does that mean the Catholic Church will one day recognize same sex marriage as a sacramental marriage? Hopefully — and for hope’s sake, let’s celebrate. As Catholics, we can and ought to celebrate committed relationships of love between persons. We can and ought to celebrate life-giving relationships of love, physically, emotionally and spiritually between two people. And in the words of Cardinal Christopher Schonborn, we ought to “respect long-term, committed relationships between people of the same gender.”
Having said that, it is time to recognize that God’s love is infinitely capable of growing and fostering a loving relationship between persons of the same sex. One of my favorite definitions for love comes from Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body: “The communion of persons means existing in relationship of mutual gift.”…
As for me, I will be celebrating this weekend. It has been just over a month since I came out as a gay Catholic priest with the launching of the second edition of my book, Hidden Voices, Reflections of a Gay Catholic Priest, and a new website dedicated to the Rising Voices of Faith who support and love all people regardless of who they love.
In 2011, I attended my first Pride Fest, and if I had to sum up my experience in two words they would be: loud and proud. It was an amazing experience to witness, tens of thousands of gays and lesbians and their supporters being precisely that. Having lived for so long in a hierarchical atmosphere of silence and shame, it was liberating to be loud and proud — albeit only for a moment and in another city to avoid being recognized.
In the piece, Fr. Meier also distorts Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body to support his views. Fr. Meier came out as gay earlier this year and wrote a book about it which we won’t be linking to here.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis reported in May that “Fr. Meier has been on leave for the past year for reasons of vocational discernment.”
I would hope that further announcements concerning Fr. Gary would be forthcoming.
July 1, 2013 at 1:41 pm
My penal favorite is the start of paragraph 2 in your excerpt. I didn't realize the RCC was softening its stance on gay marriage. I thought no meant no. Not no means were changing our minds. This is the kind of manipulation huffypoo likes to insert in its 'journalism'.
July 1, 2013 at 1:53 pm
Is is a good reminder that defrocking a priest, much like excommunicating a heretic, isn't just a medicinal treatment to help the priest or heretic – it also serves to safeguard the rest of the faithful from scandal and temptation to slip into sin or heresy. This man needs to be publically gotten rid of in such a way as to leave no doubt about where Mother Church stands on this issue.
July 1, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Sigh. Poor JPII. His 'Mad Libs' style is so easily misused and abused in soundbites and pullquotes.
July 1, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Sigh. Poor JPII. His 'Mad Libs' style is so easily misused and abused in soundbites and pullquotes.
July 1, 2013 at 2:39 pm
Sure, because the rectum is now a reproductive organ and plastic phalluses can ejaculate semen now! What a moron. Pray for him, but get him out of the priesthood. Like, yesterday.
July 1, 2013 at 8:08 pm
"Fr. Meier has been on leave for the past year for reasons of vocational discernment."
This was as of six weeks ago. It sounds like a deadline is in order. By his statements he appears to have made his decision. Maybe his Bishop needs a deadline too.
July 2, 2013 at 1:39 pm
@Harry Seldon — I'm afraid that Francis's off-the-cuff style will create even more soundbites that can be misinterpreted, intentionally or not.
July 2, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Since Meier is representing himself as a Catholic priest in order to publicly oppose the Church, some additional penalties need to be imposed — not just a leave of absence while he makes up his mind.
July 2, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Maybe the padre is a modern-day version of those people who heard Jesus preach certain things and rejected them and Him. So it's not be the first time Jesus is rejected by his disciples. Just because Meier is "sticking around" doesn't make him a loyal priest.
To deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus, well, that is a "hard teaching"… among several.
July 3, 2013 at 11:45 am
What leave? Does any Catholic think that this Meire is a loyal christian ?
I feel that he is under automatic excommunication. If he is not removed from the diocese and not suspended from priesthood by authorities,we faithful Catholics can remove him.
July 3, 2013 at 11:46 am
What leave? Does any Catholic think that this Meire is a loyal christian ?
I feel that he is under automatic excommunication. If he is not removed from the diocese and not suspended from priesthood by authorities,we faithful Catholics can remove him.