Bondings Vol27-No3
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B NDINGS Volume 27, No. 3 A Publication of New Ways Ministry Spring 2007 Archbishop Bans Mass at Homosexuality Meeting By Jerry Filteau The Tablet bishop Flynn’s deci- posium “are clearly part of the Catholic main- Brooklyn, NY sion may have been stream – about half of the participants are March 24, 2007 motivated by corre- priests or religious men and women; about spondence from one half are lay members involved in profes- Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul- or more of these indi- sional ministry or are parents of lesbian Minneapolis has barred a National Sympo- viduals,” he said. The daughters or gay sons.” sium on Catholicism and Homosexuality three were Cardinal “Almost all are highly educated people from celebrating the Eucharist during its William J. Levada, pre- who are familiar with the issues being dis- March 16-18 meeting in Minneapolis. fect of the Vatican cussed and have the intellectual ability to In a letter February 23 to New Ways Congregation for the make distinctions,” he added. “Denying Ministry in Mount Rainier, MD, the spon- Doctrine of the Faith; Eucharist to people who have committed sor of the symposium, Archbishop Flynn Archbishop Angelo their lives to the Church causes greater scan- said that upon reviewing the planned pro- Amato, secretary of dal to the Church than does a public dis- gram “I became concerned about some of the congregation; and cussion of homosexuality.” the topics listed, and also about some of Archbishop Pietro Archdiocesan spokesman Dennis Archbishop Hurley & Bishop Sullivan your featured speakers who are known to Sambi, apostolic nun- McGrath told CNS March 15 that local me- have publicly contested church teaching.” New Ways Ministry executive director cio to the United States. dia were playing the story as one about the “As you well know, New Ways Minis- Francis DeBernardo quoted parts of Arch- DeBernardo said New Ways Ministry Church and homosexuals, but “this is not try itself has several times been central in bishop Flynn’s letter in a statement March would replace the planned closing Mass about sexual orientation. This is about the similar disputes,” he added. 13 and, at the request of Catholic News Ser- with a prayer service and would distribute a symposium’s topics and speakers.” He said the plan to conclude the sym- vice, send CNS a copy of the letter the fol- list of nearby parishes, with their Mass He said he did not know which speak- posium with a Mass “makes it seem as lowing day. schedules to the 500-plus participants reg- ers Archbishop Flynn was concerned about, though the symposium is a perfectly fine In his statement DeBernardo said the istered for the symposium. but he said there were speakers on the Catholic event.” archbishop’s decision “will cause great pain He said New Ways Ministry and its agenda who were publicly critical of Church “You do not have permission to cel- to faithful Catholics who are concerned speakers “are very clears about what is pre- teachings at previous symposiums in Mil- ebrate the Eucharist as part of your sympo- about the Church’s pastoral response to sented as official Church teaching, what is waukee and in Louisville, KY. sium. Hopefully, that will at least minimize lesbian/gay people and their families.” presented as theological reflection and what In a written statement the archdiocese potential confusion and scandal,” Arch- “Since the letter was copied to three is the opinion of Catholics in the pews.” said it was not in any way affiliated with the bishop Flynn wrote. Vatican officials… we believe that Arch- He said those registered for the sym- symposium, did not grant permission for it and does not endorse or encourage atten- dance at any of its events. Neither Archbishop Flynn’s letter nor San Francisco Archbishop “very happy” about DeBernardo said which speakers or topics at the symposium were of concern to the plan regarding homosexual adoptions archbishop. New Ways Ministry was founded in 1977 by Salvatorian Father Robert Nugent Catholic News Agency ers by Adoption, the archbishop commented cisco struck an agreement to pay workers and Sister Jeannine Gramick, who was then February 7, 2007 that although Catholic adoption agencies who would labor for California Kids Con- a School Sister of Notre Dame but is now a could not remain open due to state law, “I’m nection, a web-referral service for the pro- Sister of Loretto. The co-directed the min- Speaking to a local radio station on really very happy with the decision made by homosexual-adoption Family Builders. istry until the mid-1980s, when they were Sunday, San Francisco Archbishop George the Catholic Charities CEO,” which, “was to The archbishop said he respected the forced to resign under Vatican orders. Niederauer said he is “really very happy” work with the program on the Internet for opinion of “those within the Church…who In 1999 the Vatican ordered the priest about a compromise plan that makes it pos- finding homes for children, posting their pic- feel that even that is too much of an involve- and nun to end all ministry with homosexu- sible for Catholic Charities adoption work- tures and being able to guide people who ment, but I believe we have examined what als, saying that even after their departure ers in his archdiocese to refer homosexual would be interested in this particular child we’re doing and vetted it very carefully, and from New Ways Ministry, they “continued couples to adopt children. to an adoption agency which could handle what we’re really doing is putting potential to maintain and promote ambiguous posi- Wednesday, the California Catholic the situation.” adoptive parents in touch with adoption tions on homosexuality and explicitly criti- Daily transcribed an on-air interview the Catholic Charities San Francisco made agencies that can help them.” cized documents of the Church’s Archbishop Niederauer gave to San the decision to close its adoption services “The most important person in the magisterium on this issue.” Francisco’s KCBS, in which the archbishop after receiving clarification from the Vatican adoption is the child,” Niederauer also said. New Ways Ministry remains a Catho- lauded a plan which sees Catholic Charities that Catholic organizations should not take “Important as it is for couples to be able to lic-oriented organization, but with no offi- employees working for a subsidiary of Fam- part in the adoption of children to homo- adopt a child if they want to, it’s most im- cial Church recognition or sponsorship. It ily Builders by Adoption, an agency which sexual couples. However, rather than remov- portant of all that the child have a home.” describes itself as “a gay-positive ministry provides adoptions to homosexual couples. ing itself completely from the adoption busi- The archbishop noted that the of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Asked his opinion of the agreement ness, as its counterpart in Boston did a few Church’s teaching is that the child should between Catholic Charities and Family Build- months earlier, Catholic Charities San Fran- have a mother and a father. see MASS BAN on page 6 Page 2 BONDINGS Vol. 27, No. 3 B NDINGS Gen. Peter Pace’s Catholic Spring 2007 Vol. 27, No. 3 Francis DeBernardo, Editor dilemma Board of Directors Mary Byers By Chuck Colbert what more and more Americans, including many Catho- Frank O’Donnell, SM lics, consider to be an immoral and highly unjust war Rev. Paul Thomas Innewsweekly.com March 22, 2007 policy in Iraq. The Bush administration’s shock and awe Board of Advisors over Baghdad, DeBernardo explained, has been from the Mary Ann Coyle, SL Gen. Peter Pace’s recent comments about the immo- get-go “condemned by church leaders all the way from Cornelius Hubbuch, CFX rality of homosexuality has certainly reignited criticism local pastors to the Vatican.” Patricia McDermott, RSM aimed at the U.S. military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. But Pace seems unable to connect his own profes- Barbara Regan, rc Recently, the general offered a few choice pearls of sional role as a prime instrument of war with its horrific wisdom about gays in the armed effects of death and destruction Staff forces. “I believe homosexual acts all over Iraq. Keep in mind Pace is Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director between two individuals are im- no foot soldier in America’s Matthew Myers moral and that we should not con- Middle East morality play. He is Mary Parker Betty Scholten done immoral acts,” Pace told the the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Chicago Tribune. “I don’t believe of Staff, the president’s top mili- Co-Founders the United States is well-served by tary advisor. Sister Jeannine Gramick a policy that says it is OK to be Maybe Gen. Pace is a cafete- Father Robert Nugent immoral in any way.” ria Catholic, picking and choos- Pace explained, “As an indi- ing which parts of church teach- Bondings is a seasonal publication designed to keep vidual, I would not want [accep- ing suits his military lifestyle. Per- our subscribers informed of issues that pertain to tance of gay behavior] to be our haps he is unaware of numerous lesbian and gay people and the Catholic Church. policy, just like I would not want it Catholic documents on social jus- Founded in 1977, New Ways Ministry is an educational to be our policy that if we were to tice, war and peace, let alone Chris- and bridge-building ministry of reconciliation between find out that so-and-so was sleep- tian sexual ethics.