Despite what some might say, Catholic Arena rarely comments on Pride Month and similar issues unless it directly impacts upon the church.
Even at that, we can’t jump at every statement by Father James Martin SJ, but rather have to pick the important issues to focus upon.
One issue worth focusing upon is the incredible behaviour of the Association of Catholic Priests and Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ballyfermot, Dublin.
The Fine Gael linked ACP, who seem to have appointed themselves as the de facto leaders of the upcoming Irish Synod with little resistance, changed their banner to a Pride Flag.
On their website they wrote:
In solidarity with LGBTQ+ to honour June as Pride Month our Homepage banner features the Rainbow colours.
Of course, June is not Pride Month, it is the month of the Sacred Heart. Non Catholics may scoff at that, but as non Catholics, they get no say on this matter.
Sadly, the ACP chose to use the standard outdated Pride Flag rather than the updated one that includes People of Colour.
The gesture was not enough for some of their supporters, with one complaining:
Where is the black lives matter icon?
where is the women’s rights banner?
Where is the slogan for world’s education and health rights?
Where is the no slavery or no human traffic banner?
Where is the slogan for the poor and the neglected?
Their tweet announcing the exciting development managed to get a whole two Retweets on Twitter. Well done lads!
Meanwhile, in Ballyfermot the Pride Flag was proudly displayed on church grounds by the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption.
Despite desperately attempting to be liked by the public at large, here are some of the comments from the public towards Catholics on the parish’s Facebook page, who felt it did not go far enough:
Well —- probably the same place as all the headstones for the children in the septic tanks in tuam and many other places in Ireland, Canada and god knows where else. Where was your faith when everyone knew and done nothing about all the cruelty and torture done by the members of your wonderful religion. I personally think this is a brilliant idea and well done to the priest and parishoners who hung these flags. God loves Everyone not just like those who preach love and kindness yet are bitter and twisted like yourself.
in that case where is the flag for all the babies children and mothers killed and tortured by the Catholic Church??? Have a good look at yourself or trot on back to the 50s woman
Many who criticised the church were subjected to replies that were far from charitable.
I hope your living your life exactly by the bible and go by all the rules instead of picking and choosing when it suits your homophobic self
yet you glorify an organisation that was rife with clerical abuse!! Keep that in your mind before you pontificate with any more of your nonsense!
the gspot is in the anus for men... Weird huh
you are so wrong, ask all the mothers of the children who worked for our lovely nuns. Who starved and worked all of the mothers and children whom they were supposed to help and care for. I love my faith but will never support ANY religion who choose to seperate and divide people into groups who we can or cannot except their choices. As god himself said Love thy neighbour as thine self. Or is that only for the sanctamonius such as yourself.
Not a single bishop has commented on the matter so far, but you can find some of the bishops liking some of the subsequent posts on the same page as if none of this was happening. It’s truly beyond the point of parody at this stage.
In an update last night, the parish wrote:
In the classic words of the good copper, ‘move along folks, nothing much to see here’! Just an effort by a parish pastoral council to say to our gay brothers and sisters, ‘God loves you, your parish loves you, and you are welcome here’. Applies to all of you too! That’s all it is folks, but conspiracy theories abound these days!
This is the same parish, lest we forget, that posted on its social media in the past few months to tell people that there would be no Communion for housebound or for the sick and that there would be no First Confessions, Baptisms, Communions or Confirmations until the government says so.
We shouldn’t be surprised by any of this, but with the Synod coming up, these things cannot be let away lightly.
Don’t waste your time complaining to the Dublin Diocese or the Parish Office, if they were going to apologise or act they would have done so by now. If someone sends you a template message, ignore it, it’s a waste of time.
Instead, even if it is in smaller numbers, post a letter to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Name the parish and diocese and let them deal with it. You can post it to Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 00120, Vatican City.
Alternatively, contact the Papal Nuncio in Dublin at (01) 838 0577.
This is the New Clericalism that is being practiced by the ACP, they do whatever they want and if you don’t like it then tough. How can a Synod work under such an environment of clericalism by a group so heavily linked to Fine Gael?
