Sainthood for September 11 priest runs into gay row (GAY ACTIVIST ALERT)

The Sunday Times ^ | October 13, 2002 | Sarah Baxter

[MadIvan]

A CAMPAIGN to canonise Father Mychal Judge, the firemen’s chaplain who died at the World Trade Center on September 11, has run into opposition from his Franciscan order and from friends who say his memory has been hijacked by gay activists.

“Efforts to have him canonised aren’t focusing on what Franciscans do. He would want people to concentrate on helping others here on Earth rather on than whether he should be canonised faster than Mother Teresa,” said Dennis Lynch, who had known Judge since the 1980s.

He believes gay activists have distorted memories of his friend by labelling him a “gay” cleric. “He was a celibate Catholic priest and nothing more,” Lynch said. “I’m concerned that people are using Fr Mike for their own purposes.”

Judge, who was revered for his courage before September 11, was called a saint by Cardinal Edward Egan of New York and Rudolph Giuliani, the then mayor, in memory of his heroism.

He was praying in the lobby of the north tower for the firefighters and civilians trapped by the flames when he died. He was recorded as victim 0001.

The photograph of his body being carried from the ruins reinforced his image as a martyr. A website was set up, www.saintmychal.com, calling for him to be canonised. Its founder, Burt Kearns, a documentary producer, said he had been contacted by several people claiming Judge had performed miracles.

“A wife of a firefighter was in her third pregnancy when doctors told her the baby had hydrocephalus. Fr Mychal put his hands on her stomach and they prayed together regularly. Their daughter is a healthy seven-year-old now.”

Judge did not hide his sexual orientation, although there is no evidence he was a practising homosexual.

His Franciscan colleagues are against his canonisation. Without backing from a priest’s order, the Vatican will not accept nominations for sainthood. “He wouldn’t have wanted it. He’d have laughed at the idea,” said a friend and fellow priest.

[MadIvan]

I think his memory should be honoured - canonisation may be a bit too much. Certainly, what makes him distinct is his work as a Catholic priest, not his being gay. It is despicable for the radical gay activists to try and hijack this and make it appear that being gay is next to being a saint.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[nickcarraway]

Wasn't there an article recently saying the idea that he was gay was promited by some gay activist, but wasn't true?

[MadIvan]

To my mind, he wasn't actively gay if he was celibate. As he was celibate, he wasn't really "gay".

No one is suggesting that he was anything less than celibate and a good priest either. This trying to embroider him into some sort of gay icon is really rather ridiculous - he should be remembered for the good deeds he did, not for a sexual preference he may not have had, and definitely did not indulge in.

Regards, Ivan

[Happygal]

I think his memory should be honoured - canonisation may be a bit too much.

I agree. Are people just a little 'hysterical' in the wake of September 11 seeking a canonisation for Fr. Michael? I mean, would there have been any suggestion of a canonisation for him had he not died in the Twin Towers?

As for the 'gay' issue. Well, again I agree. The man lived a celibate lifestyle as a Franciscan cleric. Whether he was homosexual or heterosexual is irrelevant, he chose to live a life where he would not ever act on his sexual preferences.

[.45MAN]

Iagree with you,if he was celibate than his orientation was a moot point. I believe that there are many out there in this position, again it is a moot point it they are celibate. I am really getting tired of in your face gays they will use anything to further their cause..

[MadIvan]

What is truly tragic, darling, is that a good man cannot simply be a good man anymore: he has to serve some function as a political symbol. And in this case it is disrespectful, irrelevant and nonsensical.

Love, Ivan

[jimtorr]

He was praying in the lobby of the north tower for the firefighters and civilians trapped by the flames when he died.

Does the Times have its facts straight? My recollection is that he was praying for or giving last rights to somebody just outside the building when something fell on him.

[mlmr]

I thought it was "someone."

[hinckley buzzard]

From "First Things," October 2002, p.106:

"You know about Father Mychal Judge, the gay priest who was killed giving the last rites to fallen firefighters at the World Trade Center?"


"No you don't. Fr. Mychal was not homosexual, never mind, as has been endlessly repeated in the media, "openly gay." He was a faithful celibate priest noted for his heroic service to all in need. The story of his being gay is a total fabrication of homosexual activists and their friends in the press."

"So says Dennis Lynch, a lawyer who was a close friend and collaborator of Fr. Mychal's who knew him for ten years and has gone to the trouble of interviewing scores of others who worked with him closely. All of them agree that the legend of "the gay prest" is nothing but propaganda."

"As you might expect, there are those who persist in claiming that they know Fr. Judge was gay. I don't know what to believe, but I have talked with Mr. Lynch and find his argument persuasive. For further information he can be reached at deallaw@aol.com."

--Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, First Things, Otober 2002.

[Antoninus]

It's a well-known tactic of the Gaystapo to proclaim a famous person "gay" after they're dead and can no longer defend themselves from such slander. They have no credibility themselves, so they're forced to glom onto that of others. Much like Sick Willie.

[ishmac]

Excerpts from the following article appeared recently in The Wanderer (I can't remember exactly when):

Prior to Father Mike's death, everyone who knew him for any length of time would never describe him as a homosexual. In fact, never has even one homosexual activist ever provided evidence that Father Mike was "gay." Yet, in newspapers immediately after the funeral mass, Brendan Fay [a noted homosexual activist] was quoted saying that Father Mike was a homosexual. Fay arranged a media event where many people spoke of Father Mike's concern for the homosexual community and claimed Father Mike was "gay." This was news to me, and I knew Father Mike for nearly a decade.

The Media Lies About Father Mike

After the first series of newspapers stories reported that Father Mike was a homosexual, suddenly politicians were standing up in Congress lamenting the death of "Father Mike, the gay priest." Concerned that Father Mike was being used by homosexual activists, I began to contact many people who knew him for as long or longer than I did. I wanted the truth about Father Mike to be published. Not one of these longtime friends every heard or saw anything that Father Mike did that would indicate he was homosexual [my emphasis]. I personally spent weeks at a time with Father Mike where he and I spoke about many personal matters. Not once was there even a suggestion that Father Mike was "gay." He was a celibate Catholic priest and nothing more...

The whole article can be read here.

Admittedly, the author is only giving a personal impression, but it warrants interest.

[livius]

I went to confession to him once (at St. Francis Assisi in NY) and he was quite orthodox. St. Francis is a Franciscan church and unfortunately had a number of gay clergy - many of whom they got rid of after the arrival of a new superior (or who were on an AIDS ward somewhere) - and had a lot of outreach activities to gays. I think they may have had Dignity meetings at some point, but then they also had Courage meetings there.

I would seriously doubt that Fr. Judge, whatever Thomas van Essen says, was out there chasing the boys up and down the street. A lot of clergy were encouraged to engage in a male bonding that was so strong that eventually, in the 70s when everything became sexualized, they began to think they were gay. He may have been one of them; or maybe not, but whatever the case, I got the impression that he was a strong and faithful individual who was probably what all priests are supposed to be: celibate.

[MadIvan]

Being gay did not define his life, however, as he was celibate. Being a good priest, on the other hand, did.

Ivan