Resigned Priests Come Out For Marriage Equality

Resigned priests are starting to emerge as a strong moral voice in support of marriage equality. Earlier this year, 80 resigned priestsmade a statement in support of marriage equality. This week, a group of 63 resigned priests in Washington State have made a public statement in support of the referendum to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

Reuters quoted from the statement to explain the group’s reason for making their views known:

“We feel the bishops are abusing their power in attempting to direct Catholics on how to vote on this civil matter and impose their position on all citizens, Catholic and non-Catholic.”

Pat Callahan, a church-goer who had been a priest for 15 years, organized the effort, and explained another motivation to Reuters:

“Progressive-thinking Catholics need the reassurance that there is more than one authentic Catholic position.”

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer cites a passage from the resigned priests’ statement:

“Nothing in this legislation infringes on religious rights or restricts the Catholic Church from maintaining its own standards for sacramental marriage: It simply provides the protection of civil law so that same sex couples may enjoy a set of civil and human rights involving health, financial and end-of-life decisions,” said the former priests, who remain active Catholics.

“We regret that our Washington State Catholic bishops have chosen to oppose Marriage Equality and attempt to impose what we feel is a very narrow point of view on all society.”

A separate Post-Intelligencer article reports that the former priests’s statement comes right after one of Washington State’s bishops issued a pastoral letter against the referendum:

“In the latest pastoral letter, Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima told his 41 parishes that Referendum 74 ‘jeopardizes freedom rather than expands it” and “endangers our religious liberty and the rights of conscience.’

“ ‘Once marriage is redefined as a genderless contract, it will become legally discriminatory for public and private institutions such as schools to promote the unique meaning of marriage . . .This law will challenge our right to educate about the unique value of children being raised by his or her own mother and father in a stable home,’ Tyson wrote.

Tyson’s letter was directly countered by Catholics for Marriage Equality Washington:

“We are shocked when we read the language and examples used by our bishops to incite fear in our Catholic brothers and sisters if Referendum 74 passes. The message of Jesus is love and compassion, not fear.”

The former priests’ letter comes from a perspective with an immense amount of moral credibility: 1) they are men trained in theology and years of pastoral experience under their belts; 2) many of them are married and have raised families–perhaps even some with lesbian and gay children–and so they know the practical realities of love and relationship; 3) they are men who have been marginalized by church structures, so they know what it means to be excluded.

Their witness is a powerful testimony to both love of the church and the cause of justice and equality.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

63 Former Roman Catholic Priests to Release Statement Supporting Marriage Equality in Washington (towleroad.com)
63 ex-Catholic priests in Washingon: We back gay marriage – Blogs (seattlepi.com)
WA & MN Bishops: Fighting A Losing Battle? (dgsmith.org)
Minnesota Priest Donates $1,000 to Support Marriage Equality (newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com)

Marriage Equality: A Tale Of Two Catholics

Oct4 by D Gregory Smith

This is, I imagine, an all-to-common-scenario:

Two Catholics: One Inside and One Outside the Church

by newwaysministryblog

Two stories came across my computer screen this week, both first person accounts by Catholics, both of whom support marriage equality, but both who have different relationships with the church. While it would be irresponsible of me to speculate further about why each of these writers has a different approach to Catholicism, I did find the juxtaposition of their two stories interesting since they raised a lot of questions for me.

Not In Spite of Being Catholic, But Because of Being Catholic

Dan McGrath

Dan McGrath, a Minnesota Catholic, wrote onSojourners magazine’s blog that he is voting “no” to the state’s proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality, and his essay explains his decision:

“When I was 10 my parents divorced. A couple years later my mom came out to my family as lesbian. By then she no longer felt welcome at church and stopped going to mass, though she has remained a deeply spiritual person. This one case of social exclusion is deeply meaningful to me, but is nothing compared to political decision by church leadership to spend millions of dollars to limit the freedom to marry in Minnesota. By doing so church leaders seek to permanently exclude gays and lesbians from the civil rights and benefits straight couples enjoy.”

Like many Catholics who support LGBT equality, McGrath is often quizzed as to how he can remain loyal to his church:

“Some have asked how I can embrace a faith whose leadership has taken such a hard line against gay and lesbian equality, and which is painfully quiet on the threat to limit voting rights. I understand why people ask this question. For me, my decision to vote no is not in spite of my Catholic faith, it’s because of it. . . .

“I’m a religious person because I need help figuring out how to apply the values I believe in to the real world. Prayer, reflection, the sacraments, and regular attendance at mass are important elements of the Catholic faith. But a great thing about being Catholic is that there are also countless examples of how others live faithful lives that one can look to for inspiration.”

McGrath attributes his faith and his commitment to social justice to his aunt, Sister Kathleen Ries, a long-time community organizer. Her example helped him to see faith as an integral part of life, and it is that sense of integrity which still motivates him today:

“My choice to vote no has everything to do with being Catholic. The marriage amendment says that gays and lesbians should not have equal access to the financial and social rights and benefits my wife and I enjoy. Nothing in my faith experience justifies this. The voter restriction amendment will set in place permanent barriers to the civic participation of all voters. The fact that it will quiet, if not silence, the voices of those who are poor, homeless, unemployed, in foreclosure, elderly, people of color, and students makes this amendment morally out of bounds.

“Another great thing about being Catholic is that by practicing our faith in community we help each other live the values of the gospel. This is why we Catholics can see how our lot in life – and the fate of our souls – is tied to the fate of others. This sense of purpose and interconnection is what I want for my daughter. I’m voting no because that’s what my faith – and my family – have taught me to do. I’m voting no for my faith and my family.”

A Spiritual Refugee

Tom Moran

Tom Moran, a columnist for Newark’s Star-Ledger, is also a Catholic, and he also supports marriage equality, but his experience with church leaders has moved him in a different direction than McGrath.

In his column, Moran relates how his early faith formation from his father stressed faith as a way of serving the poor. Yet, he did not receive reinforcement for this aspect of faith from future church leaders:

“In the decades since, I have fled a million miles from the church, and have never found a new religious home. I am a spiritual refugee.

“One in three American adults was raised in a Catholic family, but fewer than one in four identify as Catholic today. No other church has shed so many followers, according to surveys by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

“So if I am a refugee, I am walking on a road that is crowded with others who feel the same way.”

Newark’s Archbishop John Myers’ recent statements against marriage equality re-fueled the sense of alienation that Moran feels toward Catholicism:

” [Myers] said, all Catholics must embrace his views. And those who refuse should not take Holy Communion.

“I’ve gone through stages when it comes to the church, bouncing between anger, estrangement and exasperation. It started when one of my six sisters, at age 10, wrote the Vatican a letter asking why she couldn’t be an altar girl. She never heard back. But the dinner discussions on that planted seeds of revolt in all of us.

“They flowered as I began to understand the church’s views on birth control and divorce, which put even my mother on the wrong side of the law, and taught us how Catholics cope with the hierarchy.”

Moran relates the story of his mother’s decision to stick with Catholicism, but he is not so optimistic that others will follow her example:

“In the meantime, though, men like Myers will drive millions more onto the refugee highway. He had his own small share of complicity in the sex abuse scandal, transferring a priest who had confessed to abuse to St. Michael’s Hospital in Newark without telling the staff. He refuses to release the names of priests who have been credibly accused, as some New Jersey dioceses do.

“But the fixation on same-sex marriage may do even more damage in the long run. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 53 percent of Catholics support same-sex marriage, a number that rises to 72 percent among those between ages 18 and 34. Remember, they shouldn’t be taking Holy Communion.”

Moran criticizes Myers for discussing marriage, but never mentioning poverty, and he notes that other Catholics probably do not share the archbishop’s priorities:

“ ‘Catholic citizens must exercise their right to be heard in the public square by defending marriage,’ Myers wrote.

“I doubt most Catholics will see this election in such pinched terms. They know how to sidestep this land mine, too.

“Because if you visit any poor neighborhood in New Jersey, you can see a more vibrant Catholicism at work in schools, hospitals and food pantries.”

Do These Stories Tell Us Anything?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I’m not going to play “armchair spiritual counselor” and imagine why these two men have taken such different approaches to their Catholic heritage. Similarly, I don’t intend to judge either one as better or worse than the other. I presume that each has faced his life experience in the way that they found revealed the greatest integrity for them.

Both, it seems to me, have retained their Catholic sense of passion for justice and strong distaste for hypocrisy of leadership figures. In my life and travels, I have met many folks in situations that are similar to each of these men. Some find it is the right thing to stay, some find it is the right thing to leave. What I find interesting, though, is that what they share in common is their belief that the Catholicism they were taught as young people stressed love and justice, and that both think that church leaders are not heeding those messages when it comes to the question of marriage equality.

What do you see in these two stories?

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Bishops on the Offensive in Chicago, San Francisco, Newark, and Minnesota (newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com)
Moran: Raised Catholic, the church made me ‘a spiritual refugee’ (nj.com)
New Jersey Archbishop Urges Same-Sex Marriage Supporters To Refrain From Taking Communion (thinkprogress.org)
Swiss drifting away from religion (secularnewsdaily.com)
Newark archbishop: Catholics should refrain from Communion if they disagree with church’s marriage stance (nj.com)
Pope Benedict XVI Rebukes Obama: Bishop Letters Read To Every Diocese In The United States! (politicalvelcraft.org)
German Catholic Church Threatens Those Leaving Church (lezgetreal.com)

Bozeman Public Library Foundation Announces Reading of Dustin Lance Black’s Play “8”

Sep17 by D Gregory Smith

The Library Foundation Joins Nationwide Productions of Landmark Marriage Equality Play by Academy Award-Winning Screenwriter of Milk & J. Edgar

The Bozeman Library Foundation with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, is proud to announce a one-night-only reading of “8,” a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black.

“8” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

The Bozeman production is brought to the community thanks to author, director, and curator Gregory Hinton and his OUTWest programming. The Bozeman Library Foundation hosts the evening performance, starting with a reception from 6:30pm, the reading at 7:30pm in the Library’s mezzanine, followed by an informal discussion. Tickets are free and open to the public, but must be reserved in advance, as space is limited. Please call 582-2425 to secure your seat.

Hinton also was responsible for the “Beyond Brokeback: A Staged Reading with Music,” which premiered in Montana at the Bozeman Library in October 2011.

“The Bozeman Library is proud to be a partner on these two significant pieces of work,” said Paula K. Beswick, foundation director for the Library Foundation. “A public library’s role is to provide equal and open access to information to help inform, educate, and enlighten. It does this not only through its materials, but also through meaningful programs, such as ‘8’.”

This is truly a community program with local celebrity readers from all walks of life (see below) and support from the Pride Foundation, AIDS Outreach, MT Human Rights Network, and Nova Café. The Bozeman Public Library is in good company with the previous premieres from coast to coast.

“8” had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

“8” had its West Coast premiere reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. The West Coast premiere reading of “8” featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson. The benefit reading was directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner, and raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black. “The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue, and understanding. Hinton shares a common goal with his OUTWest programs, but his focus is on museums, universities, and public libraries.

For more information about the performance at the Bozeman Public Library, please call Paula Beswick at 582-2426 or director@bozemanlibraryfoundation.org. To learn more about “8” visit: www.8theplay.com or find it on Facebook.

###

“8” Bozeman Public Library CAST LIST

Clerk Susan Gregory, director, Bozeman Public Library
Broadcast Journalist E.J. Porth, active community member
Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker Jack Kligerman, retired English Professor
Theodore B. Olson (Plaintiffs’ attorney) Sherman Hall, community actor
David Boies (Plaintiffs’ attorney) Alan Kesselheim, author

Charles J. Cooper (Proponents’ attorney) George Cole, retired Yellowstone Public Radio

Jeff Zarrillo (Plaintiff) Jamee Greer, community member & activist
Paul Katami (Plaintiff) Greg Smith, director, AIDS Outreach
Sandy Stier (Plaintiff) Laura Prindiville, active community member
Kris Perry (Plaintiff) Denise Malloy, author
Elliott (Kris & Sandy’s son) TBA
Spencer (Kris & Sandy’s son) TBA
Dr. Nancy Cott (Plaintiffs’ witness) Cindy Christin, children’s librarian

Maggie Gallagher (Marriage equality opponent)   Beth Boyson, reference librarian
Dr. Ilan Meyer (Plaintiffs’ witness) Jim Madden, active community member
Ryan Kendall (Plaintiffs’ witness) Riley Pittenger, active community member
Dr. Gregory Herek (Plaintiffs’ witness) Andy Allen, active community member
Dr. Gary Segura (Plaintiffs’ witness) Jan Krieger, middle school teacher
Dr. William Tam (Prop. 8 proponent)   Scott Blackwell, librarian
David Blankenhorn (Proponents’ witness)    Geoff Stephens, active community member
Evan Wolfson (Marriage equality advocate) Tom Zuzulock, high school teacher

###

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. After bringing together Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality for all Americans.
www.AFER.org

ABOUT BROADWAY IMPACT
Broadway Impact is the only grassroots organization of the theatre community and its fans mobilized in support of marriage equality. Tony Award-nominees Rory O’Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Gavin Creel (HAIR) and Production Coordinator Jenny Kanelos founded the organization in direct response to the passage of California’s Proposition 8 in November 2008. Currently, Broadway Impact, in partnership with AFER, licenses and coordinates readings of Dustin Lance Black’s “8” at regional, community and university theaters around the world. Broadway Impact was the recipient of the 2009 Human Rights Campaign Community Award and proudly operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

www.broadwayimpact.com

###

Proposition 8 Key Dates:

Date Event
November 4, 2008 Prop. 8 Passes
May 26, 2009 AFER Attorneys Announced: Theodore B. Olson and David Boies

January 11-27, 2010 Perry v. Schwarzenegger District Court Trial
June 16, 2010 Closing Arguments
August 4, 2010 District Court Rules Prop. 8 Unconstitutional
December 6, 2010 9^th Circuit Oral Arguments re: Appeal by Prop. 8 Proponents

June 14, 2011 Proponents’ Motion to Vacate Judgment Denied
September 6, 2011 California Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Proponents’ Standing

September 19, 2011 Broadway Premiere of “8”

September 19, 2011 District Court Orders Release of Trial Video

November 17, 2011 California Supreme Court Advisory Opinion re: Proponents’ Standing

December 8, 2011 9^th Circuit Hearing re: Release of Trial Videotapes and Proponents’ Motion to Vacate Judgment

February 7, 2012 9^th Circuit Affirms District Court Ruling That Prop. 8 is Unconstitutional

March 3, 2012 Los Angeles Premiere of “8”

George Clooney to star in gay-marriage play ‘8’, directed by Rob Reiner, written by Dustin Lance Black (miamiherald.typepad.com)
Ellen Barkin joins cast of ‘8,’ a play by ‘Milk’ Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black about Prop 8 case (miamiherald.typepad.com)
Gay Marriage In California As Early As Next Month? (ontopmag.com)

WA & MN Bishops: Fighting A Losing Battle?

Sep17 by D Gregory Smith

From New Ways Ministry Blog:

Despite the fact that the bishops of Washington State have recently issued apastoral letter against Referendum 74 which would legalize marriage equality in that state, polls are indicating that voters are not heeding that message.

According to a Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog:

“Referendum 74, legalizing marriage equality, is leading 56-38 percent in the latest SurveyUSA poll of Washington voters for King-5 News, after being up by a narrower 50-43 percent margin six weeks ago.”

The polling is not as optimistic in Minnesota, which has a constitutional amendment to ban same-gender marriage on the ballot:

“. . .results of a new Public Policy Polling survey show a dead heat: 48 percent support, and 47 percent oppose a state constitutional amendment that would define “marriage” as exclusively between a man and a woman.”

The blog post cites Archbishop John Nienstedt of the Archdiocese of St. Paul as the strongest opponent of marriage equality in Minnesota. Catholic institutions have donated $1 million to the campaign to defeat marriage equality.

As we’ve reported before, Nienstedt has forbidden the priests of his archdiocese to publicly express any dissent on this matter. But that has not seemed to stop some priests from staging a passive protest against the archbishop’s campaign. When Nienstedt issued a letter against marriage equality this month, 17 parishes, including the Basilica of St. Mary, refused to read the letter at Mass.

Read the rest here.

Minnesota Priest Donates $1,000 to Support Marriage Equality (newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com)
Minneapolis Archbisop Urges Catholics to Ban Marriage Equality (advocate.com)
Gay marriage: Leads here, tied in Minnesota – polls (seattlepi.com)
POLL: 56 Percent Support Marriage Equality In Washington (thinkprogress.org)
Marriage Equality Polling Very Well in Washington State: VIDEO (towleroad.com)

Newest Ad For WA Marriage Equality

Sep12 by D Gregory Smith

Help Inlaws & Outlaws Make It To Public TV!

Sep7 by D Gregory Smith

One of the best (and most elegant) pieces of human understanding and compassion is Drew Emery’s film Inlaws & Outlaws. I’ve written about the Montana screenings we had this past spring and the fantastic impact it had on the audiences that gathered in Helena and Bozeman. It’s an amazing piece of work.

Now, this little gem has a chance for public distribution- and a better tool for compassion and understanding of gay relationships (and all relationships in my opinion) would be hard to find.

If everybody in America saw this film, opposition to marriage equality would melt away like a bad mood in a room full of puppies.

From the True Stories Project:

We’ve got terrific news! The National Education Telecommunications Association (NETA) has offered to distribute a full presentation of Inlaws & Outlaws on public television! That means that, if we act quickly, the film will be made available to virtually all public television stations in the US this Fall – including over 350+ PBS affiliates!

This is huge!

Public TV reaches over 117 million viewers a week. If we slice off even a modest amount of that, we’ll bring Inlaws & Outlaws to a much, much larger audience than it’s ever had. Just as same-sex marriage has finally arrived centerstage with President Obama’s support, we have the opportunity to reach millions of households with true stories we know change hearts & minds.

But to meet our deadline, we need your help — and we need it now.
Donate

We need our first $50,000 in underwriting by the end of September. Your support will pay for vital post-production for broadcast, closed captioning, station relations and more. Can you help?

You betcha. I’m in. Anybody else?

Donate here.

Inlaws and Outlaws (davidhortonsblog.com)
Greer Among Young NW LGBTQ Leaders Invited to The White House (dgsmith.org)
Share Your Story- Montana LGBT Couples Needed (dgsmith.org)

Share Your Story- Montana LGBT Couples Needed

Sep3 by D Gregory Smith

SHARE YOUR STORY

The ACLU of MT needs your help to
make domestic partnerships a reality in Montana!

Real families with real stories

will help us convince the public that same-sex couples need

equal protection to safeguard our families in times of crisis.

For more information

read the ACLU memo below

or write to

ACLU of Montana LGBT Advocacy Coordinator Ninia Baehr at niniab@aclumontana.org.

English: No Homophobia logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Montana, the state government offers legal protections to couples and families that help them care for one another. Right now, these protections are only available to couples who get married. This means that opposite-sex couples are eligible for the safeguards offered by the state, because they are able to marry. But loving, committed couples of the same sex are left without the protections they need to care for one another in times of crisis, and that’s not fair.

The Montana Constitution guarantees fair and equal treatment to all people. That’s why the ACLU of Montana is suing on behalf of same-sex couples who have been denied the ability to take care of each other and their families. In the lawsuit Donaldson and Guggenheim v. Montana, the plaintiffs are asking the state to create a domestic partnership registry that would grant them access to the safeguards that are currently only available through marriage. Here are a few of the ways the plaintiffs have been discriminated against:

Mary Leslie of Bozeman lost her home because she was ineligible for worker’s compensation death benefits when her partner was killed in an accident.
Denise Boettcher of Laurel was denied bereavement leave when her partner Kellie Gibson’s father died.
When Mary Anne Guggenheim of Helena had a hip replacement, a health care provider would not speak to her long-time partner Jan Donaldson without a release.

Lawsuits like Donaldson and Guggenheim are important, but to win lasting fairness for gay and lesbian couples we need to convince not only the courts but also the general public that Montanans need domestic partnerships. Our public education campaign, Fair is Fair, highlights the real stories of real people who have been denied equal protection. We are looking for same-sex couples who are willing to share their stories about how they have been denied basic protections afforded to other families. We are especially interested in hearing from couples who have been denied one of the following rights:

 The right to make medical decisions for their partner if s/he is incapable of doing so

 Inheritance rights or the right to determine burial arrangements

 The right to family medical or bereavement leave

 Priority to become the court-appointed guardian for an incapacitated partner

Have you had experiences like these?

If so, please e-mail me at niniab@aclumontana.org or call (406) 579- 8884. ACLU staff will listen and talk with you to explore whether your story might be a good fit with the Fair is Fair campaign. We will keep your information confidential unless and until you feel comfortable telling your story publicly. For more information about the Fair is Fair campaign go to www.fairisfairmontana.org. And please do pass this on if you know a couple who might be interested. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard!

Fairness For All Families- Billings (dgsmith.org)
Nevada Same-Sex Couple Denied Hospital Visitation Despite Domestic Partnership (thinkprogress.org)
Newlyweds Give Same-Sex Couples First Dance at Wedding (advocate.com)
Power of Attorney Critical for LGBT Couples (blogs.lawyers.com)
Gay Activist Goes Undercover At NOM Conference (patheos.com)
HRC: Paul Ryan voted against hate-crimes law, end of military ban, letting gay couples marry adopt (miamiherald.typepad.com)
Hate (Officially) Comes To Billings For A Day (dgsmith.org)

State Tells Yakima Diocese “No Collection” For Anti-Marriage Equality Group

Aug30 by D Gregory Smith

From New Ways Ministry:

Last week, we reported that Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima, Washington State, had instructed parishes to distribute collection envelopes in its parishes to raise money for Protect Marriage Washington, the state’s main organization working to defeat Referendum 74, a ballot initiative to uphold a law guaranteeing marriage equality.

This week, however, the Associated Press reports that the state’s Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has ruled that for parishes to collect the envelopes would be illegal and has informed the diocese of its decision:

“. . . Lori Anderson, a spokeswoman for the state’s Public Disclosure Commission, says no organization can be an intermediary for a contribution. She says the church can hand out envelopes, but either a member of Preserve Washington has to be on hand to collect them or parishioners must send them in individually.”

The diocese appears to be ready to dispute the PDC decision. Diocesan Chief of Staff Monsignor Robert Siler claims that the procedures are not a “collection” :

” ‘As far as I know, the procedures we sent to the parishes meet the requirement of state law,’ he said, noting that the envelopes are preaddressed to the campaign.

” ‘We’re not collecting and counting money,’ he said. ‘We’re just collecting envelopes and forwarding them.’ “

KIMATV.com quotes Yakima Bishop Joseph Tyson’s comments on the PDC decision:

“Bishop Tyson says it’s just one big misunderstanding. In fact, he told KIMA that he has yet to see one of the donation envelopes.

“In the letter, where the Bishop specifically asked parish staff not to open the donation envelopes, but instead place them into the addressed security envelope and mail them directly to Preserve Marriage Washington. It says the collection is supposed to take place September 8th and 9th.

“ ‘It’s not our collection, we’re not collecting the money, it’s not our envelope. We’re not banking the money, we’re not rolling the money, we’re not collecting the money and we’re not taking the money. Preserve Marriage Washington is doing that…we’re going to follow the state law and I’m going to make sure that we’re doing that,’ said Bishop Tyson”

Catholics for Marriage Equality Washington State, the statewide Catholic organization working to support marriage equality in the referendum, praised the PDC’s decision. Spokesperson Barbara Guzzo said:

“We are delighted by this ruling because we represent so many Catholics in those pews who not only find political fund raising inappropriate for their Sunday services, but also strongly disagree with the Bishop’s stance.

“We believe we should all be able to practice our faith without pressure from our Bishop or our parish priests to support an effort we oppose. “

Legal questions aside, the moral question remains: why are church institutions raising money for a political organization?

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Yakima, WA Diocese To Collect Money To End Marriage Equality (dgsmith.org)
Yakima Diocese Will Collect $$ for Political Campaign to End Marriage Equality (newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com)
State Tells Catholic Church in Washington It Has Gone Too Far (advocate.com)
Washington State Catholic Pastors’ Refusal Continues to Inspire (dgsmith.org)

Raging Against The Hate Machine

Aug29 by D Gregory Smith

In light of this:

“the Republican platform included language rejecting not just same-sex marriage but also the watered-down alternative that many elected officials find more palatable: civil unions. The GOP platform committee also defeated a proposed amendment that said all Americans should be treated “equally under the law” as long as they’re not hurting anyone else.”

I present this: