Posted on 05/01/2004 2:10:36 PM PDT by Phx_RC
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted doesn't want gays and lesbians in his church.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix made that abundantly clear this week when he ordered nine priests to remove their names from a statement they signed last year affirming gay rights and denouncing discrimination against them.
Disguising homophobia as a religious mandate is nothing new, but coming from the new bishop it is at best unsettling.
Because if the Bible bans homosexuality, then it also:
o Demands that a bride found not to be a virgin be executed by stoning.
o Forbids divorce and remarriage by divorcees.
o Commands that adulterers be stoned to death.
o Orders the widow of a man who dies childless to have sex with each of his brothers until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.
o Condones polygamy, marriage for 11-year-old girls and treating women as property.
I'm no religious scholar, and the new bishop is. But the main lesson I learned in Sunday school was that God loved all of us, and we should love God and love one another.
Bishop Olmsted knows this. Just a couple of weeks ago, he led a Good Friday antiabortion protest in front of Planned Parenthood headquarters in Phoenix.
"Our first mission is to be one with Jesus Christ," he said. "And part of that mission is to protect the rights and dignity of every human life."
Exactly. That's what 120 religious leaders, including nine Catholic priests, said when they signed the No Longer Silent Phoenix declaration. Read it yourself, at Phoenix Declaration.
It condemns intolerance and hatred, and embraces love, compassion and dignity. It welcomes all people into the faith community and apologizes to those who have been excluded by church leaders.
One of the five East Valley priests who signed the declaration, the Rev. John Cunningham of St. Mary Magdalene in Gilbert, spoke eloquently last summer about his decision.
"The main theme of the Bible is God's love for all people," he told me. "The church must embrace all her children."
Olmsted this week suspended Cunningham pending an investigation into allegations that he allowed a non-Catholic minister to join him in serving Communion to Catholics during a wedding. The priest has served for 30 years, including 17 years at St. Bridget Catholic Parish in Mesa.
Cunningham and the other priests haven't said whether they will obey Olmsted's order to remove their names from the declaration.
The bishop hasn't said what will happen if they don't.
But if he truly believes in protecting the "rights and dignity of every human life," perhaps he will sign the declaration himself.
If, going forward, Cunnigham wants to continue in his waywardness, bust him, publicly.
Thank you for asking. She's doing much better. She had a few days of nausea and stomach cramps, but we think it was just a common bug, because a couple other family members had it too, but we're all a little on edge so we watched her carefully.
She has gone to Mass with us the last two Sundays, and even stayed for youth group. She gets tired; her doctor said it could take up to a year to recover from what she's been through. She's been engaging in her hobby, shopping, with her sisters and mom, and we've been gradually giving back her chores. In another week I'll start her back up with a limited home school schedule. Her first assignment will be a letter of gratitude to all you wonderful Freepers who supported her with your prayers, which she will post on this forum.
I can't help but just stare at her, so grateful that she is still with us, and home again!
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I would not be surprised if Bishop Olmstead had given fair warning to Fr. Cunningham. Bishop Olmstead is a gentle shepherd, not prone to public confrontation, and Fr. Cunningham is used to getting his way, running roughshod over the previous authority.
We are not getting the entire story from the news media.
If she's anything like her dad, she'll be getting high-fives the minute she posts.
Orthodox-Tobin,D'Arcy,Burke,Bruskewitz,Olmsted,Meyer,Jenky,Wuerl,Curtiss,Carlson,Barbarito,Doran,Chaput,Rigali,Demarzio,Coleman,Donaghue,Vigneron,Hughes
I think the following are also orthodox but have walked into pits,or are surrounded by heterodox brother bishops. George,Brunett,Dolan,Weigand,Levada,Lori,Murphy,O'Malley,Eddyvean,Allue
The following have done a few things that I thought showed strength:Foys,Pepe,Morlino,Buchlein
Heterodox:Mahoney,Brown,Skylstra,Lynch,Clark,Hubbard,Pilla,Pilarczyk,Laverde,Imesch,Gumbleton,Rodimer,Zavala,Grahmann,Flores,Fiorenza,Lucas,Kelly,Flynn
I have concerns about Egan,McCarrick,Brom..
If you have any information that would indicate a misclassification let me know.I'll work on alphabetizing,identifying by diocese and setting up standards. It makes me happy to look at this list,the number of strong orthodox Bishops is increasing which means the middle will hold. I think it's still going to be real rough for a while but the One,Holy,Catholic and Apostolic Church in the U.S. is going to make it,IMO.
Thanks for the info about Egan,as someone mentioned just the other night,"I have never trusted Egan since listening to his sermon at the national 9/11 Memorial service,he never mentioned Jesus Christ even once." That is pretty telling isn't it? I guess I will transfer him up (or is it down?) to the Heterodox list.
Last night our new Bishop confirmed in my parish. What an uplifting experience. In addition to his other great qualities,he has a wry,gentle humor.
He is also tolerant,evidenced by the fact that he did not leave the altar,hands covering his ears after a few meaaningless, mindless,tuneless ditties.
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