Married gay man denied communion at mother's funeral in Amite 'very surprising,' official says

[Indiana_Rocky]

My friends and I have been debating the incident detailed in the article below, the priest refusing the Eucharist to the man, and the response of the bishop’s office. I would love to get some more (name removed by moderator)ut into this subject, and what the appropriate response (other than prayer) should be from the Bishops, priests, and the laity as these incidences will only increase.

theneworleansadvocate.com/news/12939016-32/gay-man-denied-communion-at

 

[maryjk]

I found this statement quite interesting.

After the incident, he grabbed his husband’s hand and stormed out of the church, but a relative who is a lesbian coaxed him back in, saying the family needed him to be a leader. Ardillo said he was also concerned about the message the denial would send to a younger gay family member who was at the Mass.

Ardillo himself has drifted away from the church. Though he now lives in Indiana, he said that as a boy he was an altar server at the very church where the funeral was held, and priests would frequently come over to his house for Christmas Eve supper.

This is why I am glad our pastor makes an announcement before Communion. I don’t know the exact words, but it is something like this, " Those Catholics properly disposed, through Confession, are welcome to join . . . . . ."

 

[Indiana_Rocky]

Yes, I usually hear that announcement during wedding and funeral Masses, when there might be non-Catholics or non-practicing Catholics present. The article is not clear what was said by the priest to the man prior to Mass and if there was an opportunity to speak to the (at least) four homosexual individuals present. Also, the article mentions that he was an altar boy in his youth. You would think he would know what he was doing was improper.

What I am most confused about is the apology. What was the nature of the apology? Should priests give Christ to members of gay civil marriages? I would think that they should refuse because of the public nature of their grave sin, but the Diocese issuing an apology and this statement from the spokeswoman just confuses me about what priests should do in this situation:

"Diocese spokeswoman Donna Carville, a Eucharistic minister, said the diocese does not condone denial of communion to Catholics just because they are gay.

‘That’s very surprising that he was denied communion. That just doesn’t happen. … We don’t deny people communion,’ she said. ‘Who are we to judge whether they believe (the church’s teachings on the communion) or not? It’s between you and God.’"

 

[josie_L]

My friends and I have been debating the incident detailed in the article below, the priest refusing the Eucharist to the man, and the response of the bishop’s office. I would love to get some more (name removed by moderator)ut into this subject, and what the appropriate response (other than prayer) should be from the Bishops, priests, and the laity as these incidences will only increase.

theneworleansadvocate.com/news/12939016-32/gay-man-denied-communion-at

Did you read the comments? Ridiculous! One guy claims the Church should be sued for not administering the eucharist!

 

[EIF5A]

Did you read the comments? Ridiculous! One guy claims the Church should be sued for not administering the eucharist!

Yes, that IS ridiculous.

But they don’t know what the Eucharist is. What they see is a random perk of joining a Catholic club. One is not “entitled” to it, even souls in a state of grace.

All they see is “unfair discrimination” because the man is denied something.

I think/hope if everyone got all the right information, and not processed media drivel or misconceptions about Church teachings, things will get better. (Maybe I’m being naive…)

 

[Indiana_Rocky]

I think/hope if everyone got all the right information, and not processed media drivel or misconceptions about Church teachings, things will get better. (Maybe I’m being naive…)

Our priests need guidance on how to approach civilly married same-sex couples. I would think that they could deny the sacrament to those not married in the Church, but now I am unsure based upon the Diocese’s response. Also, what should I tell my children? I am teaching them about the importance of the marriage sacrament, but here is the Church seeming to look the other way and endorse a same-sex relationship.

 

[EIF5A]

Our priests need guidance on how to approach civilly married same-sex couples. I would think that they could deny the sacrament to those not married in the Church, but now I am unsure based upon the Diocese’s response. Also, what should I tell my children? I am teaching them about the importance of the marriage sacrament, but here is the Church seeming to look the other way and endorse a same-sex relationship.

How did they look the other way?

The canon lawyer mentioned in the article said Communion is not denied to those married outside of the Church but nothing about gay marriage. (Maybe because if it’s patently obvious that one is living with another man under the guise of marriage, that person is automatically not in a state to receive Communion. Also, I get the feeling that man hasn’t been to confession, but the article does not make that clear – just said he fell away from the Church.)

 

[Kenny_Kamel]

"Diocese spokeswoman Donna Carville, a Eucharistic minister, said the diocese does not condone denial of communion to Catholics just because they are gay.

‘That’s very surprising that he was denied communion. That just doesn’t happen. … We don’t deny people communion,’ she said. ‘Who are we to judge whether they believe (the church’s teachings on the communion) or not? It’s between you and God.’"

1. The proper term is Extraordinary Ministy (of Holy Communion) not “Eucharistic minister.”
2. The term GAY has become increasingly ambiguous, especially as it relates to Church teaching. Distinctions MUST be made between SSA and homosexuality in action. Nevertheless in this instance the person is in a same-sex marriage so frankly sexuality is not necessarily the concern as it relates to the reception of the Holy Eucharist.
3. Just as important to believing in the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist is being in a proper state to receive it, which in this instance would be THE teaching to recognize. Frankly it disturbs me when someone wants to speak of a Church teaching that they themselves don’t appear to respect.

 

[R_H_Benson]

Thank God this priest had the courage to prevent this man from falling deeper into grave sin, and for protecting the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ from egregious sacrilege! This priest needs our prayers. Apparently, he isn’t being supported by his diocese. Such a shame that so many would endorse the sacrilege of the Most Blessed Sacrament as well as the objective commission of a grave sin on the part of the communicant than enforce the laws of the Church regarding worthy reception. It displays how little respect people have for Our Lord’s Body and Blood, as well as the absolutely dire need to preach about the importance of making a sincere sacramental confession and the need to be in a canonically sound marital arrangement to be worthy of reception of Holy Communion.

 

[TARRAT]

I’m confused by the bishop’s apology. It seems to present more questions than it answers. Personally I think the priest did the right thing. Not only did the man marry another man, which he had to know was against church teaching, but kind of thumbed his nose at the church by acting against what he knows to be right.

 

[R_H_Benson]

I’m confused by the bishop’s apology.

As are many of us. It is highly discouraging and saddening. He had an opportunity to stand up for his priest and for the dignity of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and he chose to take the other side.

 

[redbetta]

Something that I’ve always wondered is why secular news sources report on occurrences in churches and religious bodies that in no way concerns the general public? If I were not a Catholic, I would not care who gets denied communion. If I didn’t believe in the Real Presence, it would be no big deal. Slow news day perhaps?

 

[SonOfMan]

As are many of us. It is highly discouraging and saddening. He had an opportunity to stand up for his priest and for the dignity of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and he chose to take the other side.

Im curious to see how more things like this will be handled after the Sybod in October. Will it officially be condoned? Will it be more rampant?

 

[EIF5A]

Something that I’ve always wondered is why secular news sources report on occurrences in churches and religious bodies that in no way concerns the general public? If I were not a Catholic, I would not care who gets denied communion. If I didn’t believe in the Real Presence, it would be no big deal. Slow news day perhaps?

Because it shows how Catholics “discriminate” against gays and lesbians and that Catholics are “bigots”.

 

[Regina7]

My priest repeatedly says that he is responsible for all souls in his parish. So if the priest gives communion to someone in a gay “marriage,” which means no repentance or promise not to sin again, then not only is the sin on the homosexual, but it’s also on the priest. It is the priest’s job to guard the Eucharist- why is the tabernacle locked? To prevent stealing.

If all the Methodists in town wanted to receive the Eucharist, the priest would not allow until they were properly disposed. This is no different.

 

[DeniseNY]

Because it shows how Catholics “discriminate” against gays and lesbians and that Catholics are “bigots”.

Exactly. And the media engages in a form of bullying to get the Church to cave in to the demands of the secularists.

 

[kozlosap]

Exactly. And the media engages in a form of bullying to get the Church to cave in to the demands of the secularists.

This has nothing to do with the demands of secularists. It’s a matter of common sense and charity. The pastor obviously knew that the son of the deceased was married and could have taken him aside before the service and explained that he would not let him have the Eucharist. It’s quite obvious that this was a political statement that failed - yes, the pastor made his statement, but it has backfired on him. It was cruel.

 

[R_H_Benson]

This has nothing to do with the demands of secularists. It’s a matter of common sense and charity. The pastor obviously knew that the son of the deceased was married and could have taken him aside before the service and explained that he would not let him have the Eucharist. It’s quite obvious that this was a political statement that failed - yes, the pastor made his statement, but it has backfired on him. It was cruel.

How is it charitable to aid someone in the commission of an objectively grave sin, which is exactly what the priest would have done if he had given this man Holy Communion?

 

[EIF5A]

How is it charitable to aid someone in the commission of an objectively grave sin, which is exactly what the priest would have done if he had given this man Holy Communion?

I think he meant the priest should have told the man beforehand that Communion would not be allowed.

 

[EIF5A]

This has nothing to do with the demands of secularists. It’s a matter of common sense and charity. The pastor obviously knew that the son of the deceased was married and could have taken him aside before the service and explained that he would not let him have the Eucharist. It’s quite obvious that this was a political statement that failed - yes, the pastor made his statement, but it has backfired on him. It was cruel.

Maybe the priest thought the man would not have come up in the first place…I guess we’ll never know…