Two things us Catholics needed. A priest confusing Catholics about the Church’s teachings on sexuality. And more namecalling!
Fr. Bill Kenneally, Pastor Emeritus of Saint Gertrude Parish in Chicago, wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in The Chicago Tribune where he not only comes out in support of gay marriage but compared Bishop Paprocki to a Muslim terrorist.
I am a retired pastor of a Catholic church in Edgewater where there are many gay and lesbian couples, many of whom are doing their best to raise children as a family. I admire their constancy and care while they continue to belong to a church that “officially” seems wrongheaded and bizarre in its resistance to legalization of same-sex marriage.
Lobbying and liturgical pyrotechnics are both costly and embarrassing. At times I have wondered why faithful Muslims do not distance themselves publicly from their fellow believers who perpetuate violence. I wish to distance myself publicly from the misguided efforts of Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield and his rite of exorcism. God bless Gov. Pat Quinn and all who are trying to live a life of faithful love.
— Rev. Bill Kenneally, Pastor Emeritus, St. Gertrude Parish, Chicago
This kind of verbiage does so much damage. The interesting thing is that many people think that this is evidence that the Church is changing. That it’s become modern. But so many of these outrageous statements comes from retired priests or nearly retired priests. This kind of stuff, I suspect, is the last gasp of the 60’s. Fr. Kenneally was ordained in 1961.
When he retired the Chicago Tribune did a story on him that had this:
Inspired by the reforms of Vatican II between 1962 and 1965, he enjoyed his first several years serving in city parishes. “There was this open window that looked out on a church that looked very, very progressive at the time,” he said. “For a priest, those were the golden days where all these things that liberal theologians talked about were now part of the agenda of the church.”
But during the papacy of John Paul II, Kenneally, then an associate pastor at St. Nicholas Church in Evanston, sensed a new conservatism taking shape, and his frustrations began to fester. “The deck is stacked now. That’s what’s frustrating for me,” he said. “I don’t think liberal Catholics are considered anymore by the hierarchy. They’re thought of as some kind of pestilence or irrelevant.”
Despite his angst, Kenneally remained a priest. When he arrived at St. Gertrude in 1984, he immediately added a contemporary worship service in a gym that featured jazz, dance and other creative expressions–an effort to give lapsed Catholics and seekers an alternative point of entry into the church
Kinda’ makes sense, right?
December 2, 2013 at 4:09 am
So wrong!
December 2, 2013 at 5:59 am
I, I, I, me, me, me. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, in a world full of beauty and truth, Fr. Kenneally never found anything more interesting than himself, his feelings, and his opinions.
December 2, 2013 at 10:24 am
I did a write up on Kenneally a week ago- the heresy never seems to end with this guy and no one in the Church seems to want to stop it.
http://connecticutcatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-catholic-priest-helps-people-go-to.html
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
December 2, 2013 at 2:40 pm
I think the bishop's exorcism worked, these liberal, these faggot loving priests are approaching retirement age really fast! LOL!
December 2, 2013 at 3:30 pm
Sad Chicago priests. Perhaps this is why Chicago, with millions of Catholics, gets so very few native born vocations. Who wants to be a Democrat-first, opposing-the-Word-of-God-priest? Time to be quiet and pack it in Fr. Kenneally. You misguided time is over. Time to realize that you will soon face God and have to answer to the notion that you are not the Vicar of Christ, you are not the magisterium, you are not given the authority to do what you do and that you bring scndla to the faithful. Every heretic thinks he's right. The problem is heretics always act on their own authority. And they are always wrong.
December 2, 2013 at 4:43 pm
This man needs to be removed from whatever positions of authority or power he has this instant. Heresy like this cannot be tolerated.
At the same time, I would point out to Mr. Dalton that he himself is called to love "faggots", but with a true love that leads away from sin. Comments like his do great harm of their own, both in encouraging people like him to think of a group of fellow humans being as sub-human, and in driving that group away from the Church and further into sin. In short, don't respond to perversion of Church teaching by perverting it another way.
December 2, 2013 at 5:08 pm
Fr. Kenneally lives in a nearby parish. I have heard from friends that he has been known to discuss politics from the pulpit. Mainly pointing the finger at Republicans.
December 2, 2013 at 7:01 pm
If people are paying careful attention most of these liberals whether clergy or lay or politicians who are Catholic all have one thing in common and that is they are old or very old or getting old. They come from what one well known EWTN priest called clergy or remnants from the Vatican II Much crowd and they know they are loosing the shift in the Church so like kids they demonize.
December 2, 2013 at 7:29 pm
This statement from the priest does not surprise me in the least. The Enemy has agents everywhere. When we see a BISHOP doing something REAL to combat the evil one, we should not be surprised when the devil fights back. Obviously, the priest thinks he is doing the right thing, that he is a sort of hero or savior of the homosexual movement for doing so, even, which would also be delusions from the evil one. And, the priest likely believes that there is actually no such thing as sin or the devil, and that traditional family values are simply worn-out social constructs which society is outgrowing, in which case it would indeed seem likely that the bishop is acting like a fanatic, and for which the priest is totally justified in speaking out against him. And, the hero or savior delusion the priest most likely has would further make up in his own mind for any disunity in the Church that his speaking out would likely cause.
December 2, 2013 at 7:34 pm
mstw, the Bible itself has some pretty choice words for the bum jumpers. I suppose you want to sanitize Holy Writ as well, eh?
December 2, 2013 at 8:36 pm
Steve Dalton, why don't you try to be respectful? Your choice of words causes unnecessary harm.
December 2, 2013 at 9:14 pm
!2/02/2013 at 3:36 PM, Christ must have caused a lot of "unnecessary harm" when he called people "vipers" who's father was the devil. How totally unrespectful!
December 2, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Steve, you are obviously not practicing your Catholic faith. You address all gay people as "faggots", even people who have not acted upon their attractions. You are generalizing people in order to push your view onto them. Regardless of what Christ said, you are not Christ, and you should treat people with respect.
December 3, 2013 at 12:44 am
12/02/2013 at 4:52 PM, why is it that I don't give a hoot about your criticisms? Is it because I don't think people who practice perversions the Bible calls abominations don't deserve respect? Could be!
December 3, 2013 at 1:53 am
Steve, that's exactly my point. You fail to acknowledge that some people who are attracted to others of the same-sex, are not practicing any "perversions". They are not doing anything wrong. They just have an attraction (which is not in a person's control). So how can these people practice anything that's wrong if they are not doing anything wrong? Having an attraction is not wrong or perverted. According to the Church, acting upon it is. You obviously fail to understand that. That is why you should listen to my criticisms. Additionally, Jesus did not call Mary Magdalene a whore, although she was sexually promiscuous.. What makes you believe that you can just insult people for no reason? According to you "the Bible tells me so". That is not a consistent Catholic teaching at all.
December 3, 2013 at 3:13 am
Could the moderator please read Steve Dalton's filthy vitriol and let us know if the gloves are off and if we should reply in kind? Thanks.
December 3, 2013 at 3:29 am
I'm all fagged out reading so many mean remarks
December 3, 2013 at 3:36 am
Pat, thanks for your support. Some of these people are being ridiculous! However, name-calling and attacks aren't going to make the situation better. I know you feel angry, as do I, but fighting fire with fire always causes more harm.
December 3, 2013 at 4:07 pm
To the defenders of the purple plague, I have no problem with repentant sodomites, my problem is with the ones who are active and Anti-Christian, and who have supporters like you. I've known several victims of sex perverts, and for some reasons you morons can't figure out, I have a very dim view of these disgusting people you seem to be so sympathetic to. My sympathy is toward the victims, not their abusers. And the claim that sodomite desires can't be controlled is a damn lie. Any desire can be controlled if a person, with God's grace, puts his mind to it. You people are just making excuses for the Sodomites.
December 3, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Steve, you still fail to understand the difference between attractions and actions. Desires are not controlled in the sense that you don't necessarily choose what you desire. Acting upon that desire is different.
"I've known several victims of sex perverts, and for some reasons you morons can't figure out, I have a very dim view of these disgusting people you seem to be so sympathetic to. My sympathy is toward the victims, not their abusers."
Ok, so are you making a general statement that people who are attracted to the same sex and have not acted upon it are abusers? In what way? I can see the way you manipulate being an abuser in terms of religious beliefs, but legally being in a same-sex relationship is not abusive secularly. And regardless about what a person does, according to Catholicism, Jesus and God love even the worst of sinners, even though they turn from him. You constantly attack gay people and some commenters for no reason, but your own apathy. Why don't you actually start catching up on the Church's teachings because you seem to be needing it.