Deacon Sandy of the now infamous Good Shepherd in Wisconsin video has replied to me on Facebook. In fairness I think all people should see his response. Since this is already a public response, I think it is fair to re-print it here along with my brief reply.
Hi. Deacon Sandy Sites here. I am the one who is on the video that your website/blog is lambasting.
I could not find a way to post to the blog so, after some research about you, I found this Facebook page. First I wish you the peace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Having read all the posts, there are some things I wish to bring to your attention.
1) The bread we prepare for Eucharist allows us to experience both a licid and valid consecration. It is unleavened bread.
2) The fact that we do not have kneelers dates back to when the church was build in 1957. Canon law allows for an exception for a Catholic Church to not have kneelers in certain circumstances, including ours when there is a period of 30 or more consecutive years when kneelers have not been present. We have permission from our prior archbishop citing the expense that we – a parish facing financial hardship – would incur, and loss of worship space seating that would be caused by adding kneelers.
3) Our Gay and Straight in Christ ministry, (which I believe started this whole thing and brought us under your microscope), is consistent with Catholic Catechism #2358. We do not condone same sex marriage. We do not condone sex between members of the same sex. We do welcome our sisters and brothers who have been unduly shunned. (As we welcome all without asking questions. Who of us could withstand the judgement of God?) Like Christ engaging with the woman at the well, we begin by engaging in respectful dialogue, and then catechize.
4) I do not think you realize that the video you continue to show is being shown illegally. Given the negative (and angry) feedback generated by the video, we felt it best to take it down. On your blog page you admit to anticipating this and making a copy of it (downloaded it). Good Shepherd owns the content, and YouTube owns the distribution rites via the original poster. Your downloading and then re-posting constitutes a violation of YouTube licensing agreement. We respectfully ask that you remove the video. Your continued display of it is only causing further damage and separation between to groups of well intentioned Catholics who should be praying and reflecting together, and not arguing and condemning. I have said enough. I hope to get a reply.
Pax.
And my brief reply.
Deacon Sandy Sites
1) Ok, that is good to hear.
2) That may be true, but it is not an ideal and probably not be presented in such a manner.
3) That is not something that brought you to our radar but rather added later and I critiqued only you verbiage which I think is fair game. You talked about a communities rightful place in the Church. Not individuals, but a community that identifies with a behavior, not just attraction. I think your language is fair game. I notice also that you do not address your linking to Call To Action.
4) Your video is fair game for discussion, you posted it to promote your parish and your ideals. Now you want to hide from it. The ideas and attitudes in it are wrong and I believe disastrous for the Church. I understand your wish to hide it now, but I don’t think that is fair. This should be in the light. If you will no longer show it, somebody else should.
I will add that if Deacon Sandy wants to remove the video because you are now ashamed of it, I will gladly comply.
If however, he simply wants it removed because he doesn’t like the scrutiny, I think it should remain.
February 25, 2014 at 11:01 pm
Just one note on kneelers. Many monastery chapels do not have kneelers. The monks and visitors as well, are, however, expected and instructed to kneel unless physically unable. The novice master said, "you are expected to kneel. You do not have to be comfortable."
February 25, 2014 at 11:04 pm
Thx GOD for the internet!!
The NON-SENSE that is Deacon Sandy is all 4 us to see.
February 25, 2014 at 11:28 pm
Tradition in the Roman Rite and in the United States is to kneel. It is not the right of a pastor to pick local custom over what is laid down for dioceses in the USA. In fact, the good deacon claims they follow the ancient practice of standing during the Eucharist. Pius XII condemned antiquarianism in his encyclical Mediator Dei.
February 26, 2014 at 12:13 am
Which is another good reason to…chip in for some kneelers. They cost a fiver. Am I wrong?
February 26, 2014 at 1:58 am
Since Deacon Sandy indicates that they are going to redo the video, I hope he will note that his reference to canon law and kneelers needs to be redacted. First, canon law has absolutely nothing to say about kneelers specifically. Canon 846 ยง1 requires that the appropriate liturgical books be followed in celebrating the sacraments. For the celebration of the Eucharist this includes the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Mass which have required kneeling at various points of the Mass in every version since the Council. By making reference to "30 years" Deacon Sandy appears to be misunderstanding the liceity of a custom contra legem (against the law) mentioned in canon 26. As the parish began in 1957 any such custom prior to the 1983 code was suppressed in 1983 according to canon 5. If a custom contra legem was revived after this it must have been observed for 30 years without the legitimate authority correcting it (among other requirements). Since the Apostolic See has published multiple documents since 1983 requiring kneeling, not the least of which are the 2nd and 3rd editions of the Roman Missal, it is not possible for a custom of not kneeling to have the force of law under canon 26. Perhaps lost in this is that Deacon Sandy is claiming a legitimate custom not to have kneelers. Even if that were true, the law does not require kneelers in the first place. What is required is kneeling. By not having kneelers, at best all they could have is a custom of making kneeling more difficult.
February 26, 2014 at 3:50 am
Kneelers a hardship…. Lord have mercy. What is a church for? Sorry Jesus, we can't afford kneelers, oh wait.. crap.. could this financial hardship be just one outward worldly consequence when the world is your god? Those who are not faithful in small things..
February 26, 2014 at 12:10 pm
Fr Shawn; Fr Finelli – as priests, what would you say to a web-based lay initiative to fix some hassocks for Deacon Sandy's parish? If he says no, then we know it's not really about money. If he says yes, then it could be the start of something.
February 26, 2014 at 2:12 pm
wkndbeachcomber, I would like to subscribe to your newsletter! Lol. Am very much enjoying your responses to Tom. You should blog. :-).