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IrishRush
Guest
I have a very close friend, someone I would call my best friend, who has - at best - a troubled past. As a child she was sexually abused by her uncle, was involved in a number of boyfriend / girlfriend relationships that were sexual as an adult, conceived and gave birth to a child when she was unmarried (I love her daughter as much as I would love my own), then was in a same sex relationship which, after two years, ended. She has since been on her own raising her daughter. She has a very strong focus on work, spending the majority of her time on that, but has started going to church again since her daughter reached the age to start receiving the sacraments (other than baptism, which was done in infancy.) Her daughter was enrolled in CCD class in first grade and has been attending ever since. She told me when she enrolled her daughter (she was still in her same sex relationship and we maintained our friendship throughout that time) that she spoke to the priest, explained her home-life situation and told him that she did not want her daughter to be taught that homosexuality was a sin. The most surprising part of that was that the priest agreed to do that!!
Well she now teaches CCD at that church, and has been for about 2 1/2 years. The pastor knows her from when she spoke to him about her daughter’s education so when he approached her (according to her, she was approached to teach - she did not volunteer) to ask her to teach 8th grade CCD, he was fully aware of what had been her situation. She still does not believe there is anything wrong with homosexuality, as far as I know has never confessed it as a sin and receives communion when she attends mass, which is regular only during the part of the year that she teaches CCD.
Should I be concerned about having a friendship with someone I’ve been so close to for so many years? I know, you’re probably thinking, why the concern now when you say you’ve been friends for so many years (it’s been about 22 years that we’ve been friends)? Well, it’s been on my mind for quite a while and, through prayer and reflection, I’ve not been able to come to any solid conclusions, so I thought I would turn to my faithful friends here at CAF. I’ve seen wonderful advice given out here on so many topics, I’m hoping to benefit from that myself.
I ask for compassionate guidance and advice from you all, and I want you to know that I do value this friendship very much. Just abandoning it does not seem feasible to me and my friend is not open to discussion of her beliefs on this as far as I can tell. What, if anything, do I do?
Well she now teaches CCD at that church, and has been for about 2 1/2 years. The pastor knows her from when she spoke to him about her daughter’s education so when he approached her (according to her, she was approached to teach - she did not volunteer) to ask her to teach 8th grade CCD, he was fully aware of what had been her situation. She still does not believe there is anything wrong with homosexuality, as far as I know has never confessed it as a sin and receives communion when she attends mass, which is regular only during the part of the year that she teaches CCD.
Should I be concerned about having a friendship with someone I’ve been so close to for so many years? I know, you’re probably thinking, why the concern now when you say you’ve been friends for so many years (it’s been about 22 years that we’ve been friends)? Well, it’s been on my mind for quite a while and, through prayer and reflection, I’ve not been able to come to any solid conclusions, so I thought I would turn to my faithful friends here at CAF. I’ve seen wonderful advice given out here on so many topics, I’m hoping to benefit from that myself.
I ask for compassionate guidance and advice from you all, and I want you to know that I do value this friendship very much. Just abandoning it does not seem feasible to me and my friend is not open to discussion of her beliefs on this as far as I can tell. What, if anything, do I do?