Parish priest putting inflammatory political content in the bulletin

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Horton said:
Are these bad because they are opposite of your views or are they generally offensive to everyone. There is nothing wrong with being pro-police. Being pro-police does not make someone anti anything.
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I don’t find them “bad” for being the opposite of my views. In fact, they are not the opposite. I support good police officers, of which there are many, including a few family members of mine. That is not what this is about.

I would post a picture, but that could give away identities and/or locations, and I don’t want to do that. It’s definitely not typical bulletin content; in fact I find it bizarre that these memes and quotes are in there at all. Example: “Black America does not have a cop problem; it has a liberal Democrat problem.” Another example: A picture of a cop captioned, “If we really wanted you dead, all we would have to do is stop patrolling your neighborhood and wait.”

And those are only a couple of examples; there is more. Surely most of you would agree that “memes” like this are inappropriate for the bulletin. They have nothing to do with parish news or faith formation. I can hardly look at them without cringing, and my husband thought the same.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
If you can discuss it with a forum full of strangers, you should be able to discuss it with your pastor, who for all you know reads this public forum.
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Very different. I like discussion and dislike confrontation. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: But point taken.

I have decided I am not going to send anything to the bishop unless I talk to him first. I have a feeling the bishop is going to hear about it from someone else very soon anyway (if he hasn’t already), given that a photo of one of the bulletin pages has already been shared a few times on social media (not by parishioners to my knowledge, but by other local Catholics who saw it). So maybe that could be a further reason to share concerns directly with him, since I don’t know if anyone else is planning to actually talk to him.
 
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The examples you cited are absolutely disgusting. He should be ashamed.
 
I consider myself pro-police. I don’t see that that is a bad thing. But I don’t think that controversial things should be in the church bulletin.

Recently, a charity I have been supporting for 28 years sent me an e-mail, saying that this charity stands behind such and such an opinion. I said that I don’t support charities that take political stands and that I wouldn’t be supporting X____ charity anymore.

If nothing else, you can always take a stand with your feet or your wallet.
 
I would feel very uncomfortable in that situation. I’ve been in it before as a kid. And I switched churches to a Catholic Church further away where the teachings were better. Gratefully, I’m not confronted with that at my local parish. It’s been awhile, but this thread and the Archbishop letter thread, plus personal experience have me worried. So, you are not alone in how you feel. I would feel very uncomfortable in that situation.
 
EnglishTeacher said:
He preaches about his political opinions all the time, and he very often puts similar content in the bulletin. Lately it has gotten worse; he puts in whole pages of cringey pro-police memes that are impliedly against the Black Lives Matter movement. (I do not want to debate those issues on this thread; this is solely about the inappropriateness of overt political content for the pulpit or parish bulletin.)
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What’s wrong with being pro-police? I definitely have some issues with the police in my area but at the same time, they put their lives on the line every day for those who are weak and open to victimization.

I personally think that politics and morality/faith can’t be separated. The police have for the last several years been under attack and even targeted for assassination. Why wouldn’t we speak up for them?
 
Actually, we don’t need to see it. Send it to the bishop’s vicar for clergy. He knows where the boundaries are without us chiming in.
 
We never have time for “memes” in the bulletin. It is announcements and even many of those are left out due to constraints of space. Since March, paper bulletins have been forbidden by the Bishop anyway.
 
EnglishTeacher said:
Surely most of you would agree that “memes” like this are inappropriate for the bulletin. They have nothing to do with parish news or faith formation. I can hardly look at them without cringing, and my husband thought the same.
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Yes, they are.

You need to speak with him, and then if things don’t change take it another step.
 
Poet said:
What’s wrong with being pro-police?
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There’s a right and wrong way to go about it. This bulletin did it the wrong way. The right way:

“Pray for those employed in law enforcement.”
“Pray for an end to racism and healing of our nation’s racial divide.”
 
EnglishTeacher said:
Example: “Black America does not have a cop problem; it has a liberal Democrat problem.” Another example: A picture of a cop captioned, “If we really wanted you dead, all we would have to do is stop patrolling your neighborhood and wait.”
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These two examples are bad and should not be in the bulletin. Especially the second one. I would still speak to the priest before going to the bishop though. Maybe if there were a few of you of the same mind to approach him in a non confrontational manner, he may see the bad taste of memes like that.
 
EnglishTeacher said:
in fact I find it bizarre that these memes and quotes are in there at all. Example: “Black America does not have a cop problem; it has a liberal Democrat problem.” Another example: A picture of a cop captioned, “If we really wanted you dead, all we would have to do is stop patrolling your neighborhood and wait.”
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That isn’t even in a gray area. Things like that should not be in Church bulletins.
 
Uhhhhh, maybe because they want you to live?! People over 65 are vulnerable to COVID-19. You could die.

I’m pretty shocked that you missed this painfully obvious point…
 
OurGodIsWithUs said:
Uhhhhh, maybe because they want you to live?! People over 65 are vulnerable to COVID-19. You could die.

I’m pretty shocked that you missed this painfully obvious point…
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Yes, I’m over 65 but I guess I’m willing to take my chances. I feel pretty good.

If you think I missed the point then you missed the humor in my post.
 
TheLittleLady said:
WOW. If you are in the US, he is putting the Church’s tax position in danger.
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I wondered about that. The bulletin is quoting something that someone else said, but still. It at least cuts very close to the line.
 
No, it is an entire parade with a marching band crossing the line.
 
I’m over 65 and very healthy. I am not afraid of the covid at all. I think I had it last December.
 
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The boundaries seemed to have changed ala Archbishop Gregory. Actually even before that when Notre Dame ‘honored’ pro abortion Obama but did not invite Pro Life President Trump.
 
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