Posted on 09/18/2014 8:49:13 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
Explaining My Decision to Serve as Grand Marshal
I havent been in this much hot water since I made the comment, right after I arrived as your archbishop five-and-a-half years ago, that Stan Musialmy boyhood hero of my hometown St. Louis Cardinalswas a much better ballplayer than Joe DiMaggio!
Now Im getting as much fiery mail and public criticism over my decision to accept the honor of Grand Marshal of this years St. Patricks Day Parade. According to the critics, I should have refused, due to the Parade Committees decision to allow a group of self-identified Gays of Irish ancestry to march in the parade with their own banner.
As with Stan Musial, Ill stand by my decision. However, enough of you have courteously expressed some confusion and dismay, that, as your pastor, I owe you an explanation. Let me try.
For one, the decision to change the parade protocol was not mine. The archbishops of New York have never been in charge of the parade. Although my predecessors and I have always enjoyed friendly cooperation with the Parade Committeeand still doand deeply appreciate the identity of the Parade as a celebration purely of Irish heritage, intimately linked to the Catholic Faith, weve never had a say in Parade policy or the choice of the Grand Marshal. Nor did we expect or want one!
So, in the current brawl, (they have been hardly rare in the Parades grand 253-year history!), I did not make the decision! You will recall that I in the past often expressed support for the former policythat the only banners and identification to be carried was that the group was Irishand that I found it logical and fair. To those who charged that the policy was anti-Gay, I often observed that no one person, Gay or not, was excluded from the parade. This was simply a reasonable policy about banners and public identification, not about the sexual inclinations of participants.
I did not oppose the former policy; nor did I push, condone, or oppose the new one. While the Parade committee was considerate in advising me of the change, they did not ask my approval, nor did they need to.
However, I admit that, for most folks, this is not the reason they are upset with me, and this brings us to point two. Many of you, while acknowledging that the decision to change policy was not mine, feel strongly that I should protest it, publicly condemn it, no longer support the Parade, and refuse the invitation to serve as Grand Marshal.
While a handful have been less than charitable in their reactions, I must admit that many of you have rather thoughtful reasons for criticizing the committees decision: you observe that the former policy was fair; you worry that this is but another example of a capitulation to an aggressive Gay agenda, which still will not appease their demands; and you wonder if this could make people think the Church no longer has a clear teaching on the nature of human sexuality.
Thank you for letting me know of such concerns. I share some of them.
However, the most important question I had to ask myself was this: does the new policy violate Catholic faith or morals? If it does, then the Committee has compromised the integrity of the Parade, and I must object and refuse to participate or support it.
From my review, it does not. Catholic teaching is clear: being Gay is not a sin, nor contrary to Gods revealed morals. Homosexual actions areas are any sexual relations outside of the lifelong, faithful, loving, lifegiving bond of a man and woman in marriagea moral teaching grounded in the Bible, reflected in nature, and faithfully taught by the Church.
So, while actions are immoral, identity is not! In fact, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, people with same-sex attraction are Gods children, deserving dignity and respect, never to be treated with discrimination or injustice.
To the point: the committees decision allows a group to publicize its identity, not promote actions contrary to the values of the Church that are such an essential part of Irish culture. I have been assured that the new group marching is not promoting an agenda contrary to Church teaching, but simply identifying themselves as Gay people of Irish ancestry.
If the Parade Committee allowed a group to publicize its advocacy of any actions contrary to Church teaching, Id object. As Cardinal John OConnor remarked, we do not change the Creedand Id add, the Ten Commandmentsto satisfy political correctness.
In fact, the leaders of the Parade Committee tried to be admirably sensitive to Church teaching. They worried that the former policy was being interpreted as bias, exclusion, and discrimination against a group in our city, which, if true, would also be contrary to Church teaching. While they were quick to acknowledge that, in reality, the policy was not unfair at all, they were also realistic in worrying that the public perception was the opposite, no matter how often they tried to explain its coherence and fairness.
I found their sensitivity wise, and publicly said so.
If, in doing so, I have shown an insensitivity to you, I apologize.
I share the hope of the organizers that the March 17th parade will be loyal to its proud heritage of celebrating Irish identity, culture, and contributionsall a beautiful part of Catholicism thus bringing this great community together in unity and festivity, and look forward to leading it as Grand Marshal.
The link still doesn’t work. Either the site is overwhelmed, or Dolan suddenly realized how meretricious and disgraceful the column was and took it down.
Think being gay may be sin. It glorifies homosexual behavior. Only thing not a sin is having the disorder of homosexual attractions. Being out and proud promotes a disorder which can lead to sin.
What I noticed the most about this letter is how “worldly” his point of view is; self-centered rather than God-centered. His goal as a Christian should be to build a sense of loving detachment from this world thereby realizing his participation in such an event reflects flaws in his holiness.
Jesus, being sinless, could hang out with anyone without moral peril. WWJD is NOT an infallible guide to what each of us should do.
And, of course, the tax collectors and prostitutes weren’t marching in a Tax Collectors and Prostitutes Parade.
“Worldly” defines Dolan. Praise, applause, recognition from the famous, wealthy, and powerful. Helping the Democrat party. That’s what his life is all about. The Catholic Church is his chosen vehicle.
I would also point out that Jesus sent a very clear message throughout His life on earth when He did things like this. It’s no accident that so many of the stories about conversion in the Gospels involve people or groups of people who were despised by the leadership of “the Chosen People” at the time.
Dolan pretends that HAVING and PROCLAIMING same-sex attraction are exactly the same thing.
That’s the central lie in this column.
Yes, you should.
Catholic teaching is clear: being Gay is not a sin, nor contrary to Gods revealed morals.
Celebrating it is.
So, while actions are immoral, identity is not!
Exclamation point!
Of course, this is twaddle. They are claiming their "immoral actions" as central to their identity. And then he wants to be their "Grand Marshall".
I have no problem pulling it up. Here’s the latest from the Catholic League. Sodomites Gone Wild, formerly known as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
http://www.catholicleague.org/
The parade committees decision to allow a cherry-picked NBC gay unit to march in the 2015 parade has triggered an onslaught of applications from other gay groups, as well as new attempts to wrest control of the parade.
These efforts were given more fuel when parade committee vice chairman John Lahey, president of Quinnipiac University, announced that he was enthusiastic about sitting down with Brendan Fay to discuss his interest in marching in 2016. Fay is a gay activist who was an official in DignityUSA, a radical dissident Catholic gay group that works to undermine the Church. He says he is married to a man.
Applying to march in the 2015 parade are Irish Queers, St. Pats for All, the Lavender and Green Alliance, and gay groups within established non-gay organizations. Also, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced on Monday that it has applied to march.
HRC is the nations largest gay group, one that is highly critical of the Churchs teachings on sexuality. In July, it berated the New York Giants because it hired David Tyree to be its new Director of Player Development (he is the Giants hero in the 2007 Super Bowl). Tyrees crime? He supports marriage as the union between a man and a woman. HRC has also lashed out at Francis Cardinal George for defending what it considers the Churchs discriminatory policies against homosexuals. It is important to note that one of HRCs biggest sponsors is Diageo, owner of Guinness; it is a Platinum Partner.
On another front, attempts are being made by gay activists, left-wing groups, and gay politicians to wrest control of the parade permit from the parade committee. They are pressuring New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to give them the permit, but so far their efforts have failed. This is just the beginninglook for more attempts to crash the parade over the next six months.
Gee, what a surprise... not. The Vatican is softening its stance on homos, abortions and marriage. By the time Pope Frank is done, the Catholic Church will be undeniably and irredeemably socialist and progressive on every front. What will the Magisterium worshippers do then?
Right. Good point. I am corrected.
When Jesus dined with the tax collectors and harlots, they were not celebrating their sins as the homosexuals are.
Wow. Bill Donahue has certainly burned his bridges with Dolan!
Donohue.
“By the time Pope Frank is done, the Catholic Church will be undeniably and irredeemably socialist and progressive on every front”.
Wrong.
They are not. But that is the argument that the Cardinal was making. I can't take an issue with the argument - other than it is a hypothetical strawman argument and not based on reality.
Your sense of moral equivalence here doesn't work.
I'd need you to elaborate to response.
I would also suggest that having an AA group march in a parade like this isn't a good idea at all. I fail to see what can be gained by promoting vices as normal behavior.
Perhaps I was mistaken. I thought AA were people who recognized that they were alcoholics, and had therefore swore off alcoholism because they understood that it was destructive behaviour.
We all have weaknesses, and we are to encourage one another to overcome them. We are to warn those that deny, and continue to walk in, sinful behaviour. But if someone has repented and foresaken their sin - then congratulations and welcome.
Well ... it is St Patrick's Day.
That has been my mission for more than 40 years. I bow before Him and no other, in my daily life and in my private life.
FMCDH(BITS)
“Well ... it is St Patrick’s Day.”
Well it is, then, isn’t it. Was St. Patrick not a sober fellow?
At any rate, let’s go after the “sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance” first.
When the Sodomites are thus removed, then we tackle the sin of drunkenness, which St. Patrick himself will surely be glad to help us in from heaven.
Did you know that the New Testament declares drunkenness a mortal sin? Thus, St. Patricks Day parade isn’t a completely licit until drunkenness is no longer a part of it.
Gays are not promoting the right to have a certain “orientation,” they are promoting the right to have sex with people of the same gender.
What the cardinal is doing is clearly contrary to Scripture. The Apostle Paul says that approving of sexual sin is the same as doing it yourself, and is condemned by God. (Romans 1). Dolan needs to be removed from his office.
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