Father, lesbian daughter prohibited from speaking at Catholic church

[Timidity]

From the Twin Cities Daily Planet:

Robert and Carol Curoe were scheduled to give a talk about their book, “Are There Closets in Heaven? A Catholic Father and Lesbian Daughter Share Their Story,” about a Catholic family coming to terms with their daughter’s coming out. The announcement of the talk several weeks ago spawned discussion on Catholic blogs, and according to the archdiocese statement to the church, “the number and intensity” of phone calls and emails opposing the event led the archdiocese to ban the event.

The Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM) and Catholic Rainbow Parents had sponsored the talk at St. Frances Cabrini Church. “Obviously, we’re disappointed, and we are still trying to understand it,” said Carol Curoe in a statement Sunday. “Our book, Are There Closets in Heaven? talks about an 82 year-old, life-long Catholic father trying to understand and practice his faith within his church while also loving his daughter as he does her siblings. Neither our journey, nor writing the book, was an easy task.”

Dennis McGrath, spokester for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, said that because of Curoe’s active lesbian lifestyle and the related content in the book, “the parish was asked not to hold the event.” McGrath said, “We welcome gay and lesbian members into the church, but they have the same rules of the road as heterosexuals.” Those rules dictate that there will be no sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage, he said.

 

[brittrossiter]

It would have been scandalous to allow these two to speak at a Catholic church. I am glad this was stopped.

 

[Dale_M]

It was the bloggers! The bloggers did it!

But last week, after conservative bloggers were critical and contacted the archdiocese, spokesman Dennis McGrath contacted St. Francis Cabrini and St. Joan of Arc, the church where Carol Curoe, her partner and their children worship.

McGrath said when he learned of the scheduled book talk, he advised St. Francis Cabrini that “it wasn’t a good idea” and that Archbishop Harry Flynn would not approve of a lesbian who is “in an actual full sexual relationship” speaking at a church.

startribune.com/614/story/1501490.html

 

[mdgspencer]

Whenever a thread starts on being gay here, gay advocates crowd onto the thread to advaocate their cause. Whether they telephone or email one another about the latest thread to prompt the polemic of their friends, I don’t know. But they all reject the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that homosexuality is a disorder and the teaching of the Popes that in fact gay sex should never be approved. They say the same things all the time, and argue in endless circles. For this reason, I promised myself never to open a thread here on being gay, though I relented in this case nevertheless. I can only pray that the threat of the gay movemnet will not harm souls any more than it has.

 

[Bennie_P]

“The archdiocese’s decision to ban the Curoes is very sad and misguided.” Bayly said. “This whole incident has reaffirmed our commitment to help build spaces of safety and respect within the church for gay people,” he said.

Newspeak translation - “The Church is wrong about sexuality and Her teachings on sexual morality and we are right. We reafirm our commitment to shove our world view and agenda down Rome’s throat.”

Mother Mary pray for us.

 

[tiggeriffic]

I just ordered that book. Should be an interesting read.

 

[Lance]

Good for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, they did the right thing.

 

[JFonseka]

You can’t be Catholic &&&&& not adhere to one of the most sacred sacraments indoctrinated by the Church, instituted by God.

MARRIAGE

 

[GregoryPalamas]

“Dennis McGrath, spokester for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis”

What is a “spokester”?

CDL

 

[Brillant]

Whenever a thread starts on being gay here, gay advocates crowd onto the thread to advaocate their cause. Whether they telephone or email one another about the latest thread to prompt the polemic of their friends, I don’t know. But they all reject the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that homosexuality is a disorder and the teaching of the Popes that in fact gay sex should never be approved. They say the same things all the time, and argue in endless circles. For this reason, I promised myself never to open a thread here on being gay, though I relented in this case nevertheless. I can only pray that the threat of the gay movemnet will not harm souls any more than it has.

I agree with you. In my business I meet people from all around the world, every type of religion, every gender and type…

Due to this and my compassionate side several gays have befriended me from time to time… for some reason they seem to think they can hide their lifestyle from me however it’s very obvious… yet it gives me an opportunity to sneak little messages about the love of our Lord and in many cases they open up and tell me about themselves because they know I won’t judge… once they expose themselves they often feel comfortable to tell me how this life style overtook their life.

I bet the majority of you don’t know that … well I don’t know about the woman but the majority of the men whom I encountered had something occur during their young life that caused shame or maybe they were just curious and did something just to see what it was like and you know what… it’s just like a drug … this is how the evil one works… get you started innocently and the next thing you know you are involved and you can’t get out. (or at least you think you can’t get out, because that is how the evil one works)

So the question is, Is it evil to be gay? or is the act of a gay individual evil?

I liked what Mother Angelica said last week. To be feminine or so feel gay is not a sin… it is the act that is a sin. The Holy Word of God is very clear about this.

It is no different than a heterosexual obstain from sexual activity as it would be a homosexual. Our body is the temple of the Lord. As it says in scripture… if you cannot obstain from sex then you should marry and be honorable to your mate. {not marry another man instead a woman or vice versa}

If a man is overly creative because of his female side or a woman is masculine due to her tom boyish side… so be it… it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you because you aren’t like everyone else. We are all individuals and we all have a free will. and we were all given special gifts. So I challenge the gays to consider celibacy. Just as I challenge those that are heterosexual to consider celibacy and offer the suffering of the “urge” to the Lord our God.

As for speaking in a church forum… I suppose it would depend on the topic. What if it were a gay who loves the Lord and doesn’t practice the act yet struggles with it to possibly help another going through the same sensation. Would it then be wrong?

If it were advocating the gay lifestyle then absolutely not, but if it is to reach out to others for encouragement in the faith then by all means. yes… Jesus loves everyone, we need to reach out to one another.

 

[Timidity]

What is a “spokester”?

A device you mount on your bicycle. The device interferes with the spokes of the wheel in order to produce sound.

 

[mdgspencer]

There is a Catholic organization which reaches out to gays and encourages celibacy called Courage. I haven’t head about it in a few years but I presume that it still exists.

I agree with you. In my business I meet people from all around the world, every type of religion, every gender and type…

Due to this and my compassionate side several gays have befriended me from time to time… for some reason they seem to think they can hide their lifestyle from me however it’s very obvious… yet it gives me an opportunity to sneak little messages about the love of our Lord and in many cases they open up and tell me about themselves because they know I won’t judge… once they expose themselves they often feel comfortable to tell me how this life style overtook their life.

I bet the majority of you don’t know that … well I don’t know about the woman but the majority of the men whom I encountered had something occur during their young life that caused shame or maybe they were just curious and did something just to see what it was like and you know what… it’s just like a drug … this is how the evil one works… get you started innocently and the next thing you know you are involved and you can’t get out. (or at least you think you can’t get out, because that is how the evil one works)

So the question is, Is it evil to be gay? or is the act of a gay individual evil?

I liked what Mother Angelica said last week. To be feminine or so feel gay is not a sin… it is the act that is a sin. The Holy Word of God is very clear about this.

It is no different than a heterosexual obstain from sexual activity as it would be a homosexual. Our body is the temple of the Lord. As it says in scripture… if you cannot obstain from sex then you should marry and be honorable to your mate. {not marry another man instead a woman or vice versa}

If a man is overly creative because of his female side or a woman is masculine due to her tom boyish side… so be it… it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you because you aren’t like everyone else. We are all individuals and we all have a free will. and we were all given special gifts. So I challenge the gays to consider celibacy. Just as I challenge those that are heterosexual to consider celibacy and offer the suffering of the “urge” to the Lord our God.

As for speaking in a church forum… I suppose it would depend on the topic. What if it were a gay who loves the Lord and doesn’t practice the act yet struggles with it to possibly help another going through the same sensation. Would it then be wrong?

If it were advocating the gay lifestyle then absolutely not, but if it is to reach out to others for encouragement in the faith then by all means. yes… Jesus loves everyone, we need to reach out to one another.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

Good for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, they did the right thing.

I disagree. They should have been allowed to speak. This falls into the official stance of treating them with respect. This is apparently a telling of a real life story for Catholics with same-gender preferences and all that entails, both the good and bad.

This seems to be a type of censoring in my opinion. The Archdiocese should allow this event to happen.

 

[fix]

I disagree. They should have been allowed to speak. This falls into the official stance of treating them with respect. This is apparently a telling of a real life story for Catholics with same-gender preferences and all that entails, both the good and bad.

This seems to be a type of censoring in my opinion. The Archdiocese should allow this event to happen.

They should be censored. That is called right reason. That is called being faithful.

As for respect where is the respect for what the Church teaches?

 

[bones_IV]

They should be censored. That is called right reason. That is called being faithful.

As for respect where is the respect for what the Church teaches?

Using their logic, we should let the whole world burn.

 

[Brendan]

I disagree. They should have been allowed to speak. This falls into the official stance of treating them with respect. This is apparently a telling of a real life story for Catholics with same-gender preferences and all that entails, both the good and bad.

This seems to be a type of censoring in my opinion. The Archdiocese should allow this event to happen.

It’s not censorship to prohibit falsehood from being spread. If the story was about the daughter ‘coming up’ and her family’s support of her decision to remain celibate, I would have no problem with them speaking, in fact, I would attend as a show of support.

But, the daughter is in an active, homosexual relationship, so that is something that can not be condoned by the Church, it’s a false excercise of sexual love, and the Church, which can proclaim only the Truth, cannot be involved in the proclaimation of falsehood.

 

[brittrossiter]

It’s not censorship to prohibit falsehood from being spread. If the story was about the daughter ‘coming up’ and her family’s support of her decision to remain celibate, I would have no problem with them speaking, in fact, I would attend as a show of support.

But, the daughter is in an active, homosexual relationship, so that is something that can not be condoned by the Church, it’s a false excercise of sexual love, and the Church, which can proclaim only the Truth, cannot be involved in the proclaimation of falsehood.

Correctamundo. As I said towards the start of this thread, allowing this pair to speak would have been scandalous, in the literal sense of that word. It would tend to cause people to think that people should tolerate active homosexual behavior, thus leading them astray, hence the scandal.

As someone who has recently abandoned that lifestyle (and who has never been happier, I might add), I repeat that I am truly glad that these two will not be permitted to speak their misguided and false message with the appearance of a blessing from the Church.

 

[Brillant]

It’s not censorship to prohibit falsehood from being spread. If the story was about the daughter ‘coming up’ and her family’s support of her decision to remain celibate, I would have no problem with them speaking, in fact, I would attend as a show of support.

But, the daughter is in an active, homosexual relationship, so that is something that can not be condoned by the Church, it’s a false excercise of sexual love, and the Church, which can proclaim only the Truth, cannot be involved in the proclaimation of falsehood.

Here,here Brendan. Same goes for a heterosexual that is conducting their life in a illicit way. We need to stand behind if not anything else the 10 commandments… after all the tablet seems to be deteriotating in the public arena … my goodness we must never forget the laws of the church laid out before us by the Holy Scripture which is the Word of God.

 

[Brillant]

There is a Catholic organization which reaches out to gays and encourages celibacy called Courage. I haven’t head about it in a few years but I presume that it still exists.

I certainly hope men and woman of this lifestyle will not be afraid or timid about (at least) exploring the options and why they are struggling with intolerence. Maybe - just maybe they may encounter a key to unlock the door to acquire an answer to the mystery which has plagued them until they finially gave in and then threw up their amrs… saying “oh well, I am what I am” but is that true… possibly another answer can be found through this organization.

I say go for it, don’t you?

I believe, mdgspencer, that it still is active because if I am not mistaken several months ago I may have heard a spokesperson on Catholic Radio.

 

[Katie1723]

I disagree. They should have been allowed to speak. This falls into the official stance of treating them with respect. This is apparently a telling of a real life story for Catholics with same-gender preferences and all that entails, both the good and bad.

This seems to be a type of censoring in my opinion. The Archdiocese should allow this event to happen.

I happen to agree with you. And I like the fact that you are willing to speak out.
Kathy