Pushy Presumptuous Politically Progressive Possibly Pro-Planned Parenthood Portland Parishioners Propose Prohibiting Polite Persecuted Priest’s Proven Pastoral Policies
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blackforest
Well-known member
The issue seems two-sided. The parishioners are certainly being unreasonable. There may have also been a better way to introduce the changes without an abrupt new-sheriff-in-town approach. Taking down the “Refugees Welcome” sign, for example, goes overboard.
blackforest
Well-known member
If a simple statement like that is “polarizing,” the Catholic Church in the U.S. is in a very sad state indeed.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Refugees are welcome in every Catholic church I’ve ever been in, without the need to post a sign.
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Thomasbradley312
Guest
I’m not even sure of the validity of the “masses” in this parish after what they were doing all these decades.
blackforest
Well-known member
Our own parish bulletin has a permanent announcement on the cover saying that all are welcome regardless of walk of life, marital status, etc. Of course the Catholic Church would welcome them with or without a bulletin blurb. But I appreciate the reminder of our faith’s trademark kindness and charity. A sign welcoming refugees is no different.
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BartholomewB
Guest
That nails it.
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BartholomewB
Guest
Pushy Presumptuous Politically Progressive Possibly Pro-Planned Parenthood Portland Parishioners Propose Prohibiting Polite Praiseworthy Persecuted Priest’s Proven Pastoral Policies Precipitating Polarization
Pushy Presumptuous Politically Progressive Possibly Pro-Planned Parenthood Portland Parishioners Propose Prohibiting Polite Praiseworthy Persecuted Priest’s Proven Pastoral Policies, Predictably Precipitating Polarization
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phil19034
Guest
It’s polarizing because it sends the message that Catholic Churches without a sign are not welcoming.
After all… the priest who removed the sign is from Nigeria. Nigeria is a nation which thousands have fled within the last year alone to Chad and other nations due to the Boko Haram crisis (~240,000 Nigerian refugees in total).
Not to mention the ~ 2 million people who are still displaced inside Nigeria.
https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/nigeria-emergency.html
So for these parishioners to imply that the Nigerian priest is against immigrants and refugees (which are his OWN people) is absurd.
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blackforest
Well-known member
That’s a message that you’re receiving, not one that anyone is actually sending.
My parish in my last town had no “Refugees Welcome” sign. Nobody made a stink about it. That may be because we had a thriving refugee resettlement ministry already, but who knows?
So I would hope he’d know better . . .
As I see it, the sign was not a political statement. Removing it was.
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Lost4words
Guest
Pushy Presumptuous Politically Progressive Possibly Pro-Planned Parenthood Portland Parishioners Propose Prohibiting Polite Praiseworthy Persecuted Pious Priest’s Proven Pastoral Policies, Predictably Precipitating Polarization
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Minks
Guest
@Arizona-Catholic Post 81
@YourNameHere Post 82
@Glennon_P Post 83, 100, 107, 110, 122,
@BartholomewB Post 99, 101, 120
@Lost4Words Post 109, 124
@(name removed by moderator) Post 115
You people are precious! Thanks for your keen sense of humor and competition!
I’m definitely not competing with you, but you’re all phabulously, phreaky, phenomenally, phantastically, phunny pholks!
Long may you entertain us!
@YourNameHere Post 82
@Glennon_P Post 83, 100, 107, 110, 122,
@BartholomewB Post 99, 101, 120
@Lost4Words Post 109, 124
@(name removed by moderator) Post 115
You people are precious! Thanks for your keen sense of humor and competition!
I’m definitely not competing with you, but you’re all phabulously, phreaky, phenomenally, phantastically, phunny pholks!
Long may you entertain us!
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phil19034
Guest
I understand what you are saying, however, I disagree because there is anecdotal evidence in the article to back up that they were the ones being political with the sign to begin with.
Apparently one of the parishioners who attempted to defend the priest was told “you are not welcome here” by the anti-priest crowd.
Those heretics, who disrupt the Mass and preach against their pastor from the pulpit are the ones who are causing division and pushing their ideology on everyone. Anyone who disagrees with them is not welcome.
In a Catholic Church, the ONLY thing that should matter is if you are orthodox or not. The Nigerian priest obviously felt that their sign was causing a problem. If it wasn’t, I’m sure he would have left it there. And the fact that by removing it he caused illogical uproar proves that it was being used for ideological reasons.
So again: We have an African, immigrant priest - from a country with tons of refugees (a lot of them Catholic) deciding the sign wasn’t appropriate - yet people are accusing him of being against immigrants & refugees. Again, it’s absurd. There was obviously a political bent to this by these heretics (who I can justifiably call heretics because of what they did during the consecration).
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BartholomewB
Guest
Recognition at last!!
Thank you, @Minks
Thank you, @Minks
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mrsdizzyd
Guest
Indeed, by all reports, my own parish was transformed from a “spirit of Vatican 2” liturgy to a reverent traditional liturgy. It took the better part of a decade and even that was painful for some of the more progressive folks.
At the same time, I can understand how it might be difficult for a holy priest to resist the urge to fix it all at once.
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PetraG
Guest
From what I gather, the Franciscans staffed the parish until recently. They don’t have the numbers they once had and have had to give up staffing a number of parishes in Oregon in recent years. The Archdiocese doesn’t have as many priests as she needs, either, as a retired priest rather heroically administered the parish for a short time before a rather recently-ordained priest was made pastor.
I don’t know the parish well except that the reputation was that they did a lot to help the poor over and above the food. They are one of two parishes in Portland probably best-known for major outreach to the homeless and the very poor; other parishes and Catholic groups would send volunteers to help.
I don’t know the parish well except that the reputation was that they did a lot to help the poor over and above the food. They are one of two parishes in Portland probably best-known for major outreach to the homeless and the very poor; other parishes and Catholic groups would send volunteers to help.
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blackforest
Well-known member
Here’s a different and more secular take on what happened. Reverence and resistance in one of Portland’s oldest Catholic churches - oregonlive.com
To be clear, I can’t really take sides on this one. I see a parish full of graying heads, i.e. aging baby boomers, living out the old prophecy: “If the babes aren’t crying, your church is dying.” They fancy themselves as “progressives” but can get quite reactionary when change is introduced.
Archbishop Sample may have sent a more traditional priest in to “clean things up.” If so, the new priest took things quite seriously, so seriously that he made quite the political statement, tearing down the refugee banner and sending vestments to the dumpster.
It’s true that things have gotten alarmingly polarized in our Church, and that’s what needs some “cleaning up” . . . or at least some serious prayer and healing.
I’ve never attended Mass at St. Francis but drive by from time to time. There’s a park right outside of it by the same name, but believe me, it’s not where you’d want to take your kids for play dates. It’s full of littler, rusty shopping carts, and homeless people. While I’m all over ministering to the homeless, I always thought they could clean that place up and make it a community garden.
To be clear, I can’t really take sides on this one. I see a parish full of graying heads, i.e. aging baby boomers, living out the old prophecy: “If the babes aren’t crying, your church is dying.” They fancy themselves as “progressives” but can get quite reactionary when change is introduced.
Archbishop Sample may have sent a more traditional priest in to “clean things up.” If so, the new priest took things quite seriously, so seriously that he made quite the political statement, tearing down the refugee banner and sending vestments to the dumpster.
It’s true that things have gotten alarmingly polarized in our Church, and that’s what needs some “cleaning up” . . . or at least some serious prayer and healing.
I’ve never attended Mass at St. Francis but drive by from time to time. There’s a park right outside of it by the same name, but believe me, it’s not where you’d want to take your kids for play dates. It’s full of littler, rusty shopping carts, and homeless people. While I’m all over ministering to the homeless, I always thought they could clean that place up and make it a community garden.
I’m not sure which two parishes you have in mind, but I’ve seen some wonderful outreach from a number of parishes.
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CTBcin
Guest
I’ve read it. It may be secular, but it certainly isn’t unbiased. Neither the priest nor anyone from the Archdiocese was interviewed or spoken to.
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MJDorry
Guest
Do they not see the evil in their ways? Barring liturgical abuses that invalidate intention, no matter what rite you’re used to or desire, you have a moral obligation to observe the mass respectfully and with reverence. This is the pinnacle of everything wrong with how modernist Boomer Catholics have poisoned the liturgical well. When finally confronted with something authentic, they stomp and shout like infants. How incredibly Christ-like and charitable of them.
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