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Are Massachusetts Catholics, uh, Catholic? (and does “sin” still exist?) by Kelly Clark — the lady in the pew — December 1, 2003 Be gentle with me, dearest reader. I broke my shoulder on All Souls Day and am typing this article with five fingers, an elbow, and my right ear. Last night I managed to burn a piece of cheesecake in the microwave. This morning I emptied one of those restaurant-sized packets of salt in my coffee. Which really didn’t matter. Since the cream I’d already poured in was sour. And did I mention that I live in Massachusetts? Yeah, you know the state — or as we residents loftily call it, “The Commonwealth.” Home of the Red Sox, Ted Kennedy, Plymouth Rock, and a Supreme Judicial Court that just re-designed those little “bride ‘n groom” figurines we used to see atop wedding cakes. Last Sunday — the First Sunday in Advent — our four bishops directed that a letter calling the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in favor of same-sex marriage “a national tragedy” be read at Masses throughout the state. The brief letter calls for “a constitutional amendment that reaffirms marriage as the union between one man and one woman.” And it ends with the words “Thank you for listening.” Trouble is, lots of Catholics weren’t. Listening, I mean. Nice of you, bishops, to thank us for our ears, but not all of your flock heard you. Why? Because some of your brother priests chose not to read your letter. Why is that, you ask? Who better than Father “Call Me Walter” Cuenin to explain, as he did so eloquently to a Boston Globe reporter, when he said: “This is a family Mass, so it’s difficult.” Now, if that’s not clear enough, [huh?] the affable Our Lady Help of Christians pastor amplifies his position: “We have a gay and lesbian support group,” Cuenin said, his violet robes fluttering in an icy wind as he greeted parishioners leaving Mass. “We want to support the church and at the same time make everyone feel welcome.” At least one of Father Cuenin’s parishioners appears to interpret his, uh, fluttering statements thusly: Mary Sagers, a 35-year-old Waltham resident who attended Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians, said she believes the church should support gays and lesbians who want to tie the knot. “I'm all for it,” she said. Sagers smiled, and added in hushed tones that the Newton parish is “a little more progressive” than other Boston-area parishes. Sagers apparently has never visited the Jesuit Urban Center in Boston’s South End, but that’s beside the point, I guess. Quick question: is homosexual activity a sin? I mean, we know, from Church teachings, that it is. But is Massachusetts — or maybe even the United States — somehow exempt? Here’s why I ask. Only a couple of weeks ago, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops met in Washington. On the agenda: same-sex marriage. Now, the good news, for those of us seeking some clarity, is that the bishops voted (Voted? Doesn’t that imply some sort of choice in the matter?) to support the Church’s teachings against same-sex marriage. But when some bishops wanted to describe sexual activity between people of the same sex as “sinful,” they were voted (that word again) down. How come? Is it or isn’t it sinful? We could always ask Voice of the Faithful™, I suppose. According the group’s web-site, they’re in pretty tight with the Boston Archdiocese and its chief shepherd. In a press release describing its November 19, 2003 with the Archbishop, the group tells us that: Archbishop Sean [sic] expressed willingness for the Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB) to work with VOTF in efforts to:
Warning: HUGE parenthetical comment coming up::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: (Voice of the Faithful™ to work with the Archdiocese on “implementing child safety programs?” Isn’t this the same group who hired “sex-pert” Debra Haffner to address its convention-goers? The same Debra Haffner who wrote in her book From Diapers to Dating: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children: (Newmarket Press, July 2000) “Of course, parents should not give five-year-olds detailed information about contraceptives, but they can begin by teaching them that every baby needs love and caring and that people can plan the number of children in their families. This sets the stage for later, more in-depth discussions.” Contraception isn’t a sin anymore? I hadn’t heard. And as long as I’m hanging around in the old parentheses, I’m also parenthetically wondering: Voice of the Faithful™ to work with the Archdiocese on other issues? Well, that outta be a neat trick. I mean, seeing that the group’s been banned, at least partially, from meeting on church property, how exactly will this “work” be accomplished? Still, it must be all must be true. First, the Archdiocese hasn’t refuted it. Second, of course, I found it on The Internet.) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::end of parenthetical comment. “And none too soon! Anyway, Kelly, what does VOTF have to do with gay marriage?” Well, actually that’s hard to say. Because on the very day the four Massachusetts bishops decried, or attempt to decry, the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision, I read this about the Archdiocese of Boston’s apparently new “collaborating” group: “James Post, the president and co-founder of the Catholic lay organization Voice of the Faithful, said it's difficult to predict how Catholics will respond to the call to action, and whether they will mount a grass-roots campaign against gay marriage. “Focused on changing the church in the wake of the priest abuse scandal, the lay group has taken no position on gay marriage.” (Boston Globe, November 30, 2003) “No position on gay marriage?” “Catholic lay organization?” You tell me: what the bleep is wrong with this picture? Timeline of Confusion: October 23, 2003: Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, says: “There should be a way for the state to provide the benefits they [homosexual partners] have a right to, like other citizens. But just to put the title of marriage on it, I think that’s a wrong way to go.” November 12, 2003 While voting to support Church teaching regarding “same-sex marriage,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop vote against describing sexual activity between same-sex couples as “sinful,” “gravely sinful,” or “objectively sinful.” November 18, 2000 The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court becomes the nation’s first state supreme court to rule that same-sex couples have the legal right to marry. November 19, 2003 Archbishop Sean O’Malley, Archdiocese of Boston, meets with the leaders of the group known as “Voice of the Faithful.™” In an press release undisputed by the Archdiocese of Boston, the group claims that the Archbishop is willing to work with the group on Archdiocesan matters. November 30, 2003 The state’s four bishops direct that a letter decrying the State Supreme Judicial Court’s decision on same-sex marriage be read at all Masses throughout the Commonwealth. It wasn’t read at all Masses throughout the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, a Newton parishioner looks forward to gay Catholics “tying the knot” and a lay “Catholic” group leader claims group “has no position” on the issue. And so I end (and you can just nix the applause, thank you very much) as I began: Are Massachusetts Catholics, Catholic? I’ll tell you, from my view in the pew, it’s doesn’t seem to me like such a crazy question. I mean, it’s confusing as hell, if you don’t mind my saying so. Enough to make my head hurt. And did I mention that I broke my bleepin’ shoulder? Sheesh. Hey, in all the excitement — I forgot to thank you for coming along for the ride. I do hope you’ll remember everyone mentioned in this article in your prayers. And will you remember me, too? I pray for you all the time. May you be blessed abundantly during this Holy Season of Advent, and at every moment of your life. In Christ, Kelly And now for the fine print: Kelly Clark is your basic nobody. She serves on no parish councils, belongs to none of the myriad of designer-chic "Catholic" groups, or any Catholic group, for that matter, other than the Roman Catholic Church. Holding no theology degrees, she has no desire to see herself or any of her sex wearing a clerical collar. She figures Jesus knew what He was doing when He established His Church, and also figures that it’s His Church, not hers, and not yours. She’s an ordinary parishioner of Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston. Use the links on the left to e-mail Kelly, to visit her parish, read past columns, and check out other cool stuff. (If you don’t see any links on the left, you’ve probably been directed here by a search engine. Just point your browser to http://www.pewlady.com to get to the main site.) Copyright: Kelly Clark, 2003. I don’t care if you share this stuff with others. In fact, I hope you do! Only I’d appreciate it if you’d link me, or print it off as it is. In other words, don’t change anything. Thanks. “The Lady in the Pew” column is updated regularly, God willing. To be notified of updates, please e-mail me. The link’s on the left. “Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.”
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