Gay Activists File Complaints against Dutch Priest over Communion Refusal

Life Site ^ | February 24, 2010 | Patrick B. Craine

[NYer]

The Dutch priest who refused Communion on February 13th to his town's openly homosexual Carnival “prince” is now facing police complaints from homosexual activists.

The complaints follow a protest by homosexualists at the Catholic parish in Reusel on Sunday, which was held in response to the decision of the pastor, Fr. Luc Buyens, to withhold Communion from Gijs Vermeulen, 24, at the town's traditional Carnival Mass.

Fr. Buyens had alerted Vermeulen in advance, stating that he must refuse him Communion because the young man had made a public display of his active homosexuality leading up to the town's Carnival festivities.

Anticipating the protest, the priest decided, in consultation with his bishop in Den Bosch, not to distribute Communion at Mass this past Sunday, stating that he wanted to avoid “sins” and “sacrilege.”

Robert Cooijmans, a homosexual who attends the Roman Catholic parish in Cuijk, lodged his complaint against Fr. Buyens with the police yesterday.  He accuses Fr. Buyens of “discrimination,” claiming that his own pastor has never refused him the Eucharist.

Another complaint is being filed today against Fr. Buyens and the bishop by homosexual Christian Ouwens, 31, a Catholic theology student.  Ouwens claims that in his case the denial of communion was not based on any Church law, as the relevant law, Canon 915, only requires that Communion be refused to those who are in manifest grave sin.  Ouwens contends that, when in doubt, Communion should be given, with the “salvation of the soul of the person being the highest law of the Church.”

But, while both Cooijmans and Ouwens have complained that Fr. Buyens denied them Communion at the Mass on Sunday, the fact is that, in this case, neither they nor anyone else was singled out.  Fr. Buyens simply did not distribute Communion to the entire congregation.

Ouwens was arrested during the Mass on Sunday by a police officer in civilian clothes when he attempted to approach the microphone in order to address the congregation.  He was subsequently charged with “mischief.”

A large group of homosexual activists, who seem to be led in this initiative by Henk Krol, editor of the homosexualist newspaper Gay Krant, are planning to attend Mass this Sunday at St. John's Cathedral in Den Bosch, where they intend to challenge the bishop.

COC Eindhoven, the local affiliate of the homosexual action group COC Nederlands, has called on its members to join the protest at the Cathedral.  The vice president for the national COC, Vera Bergkamp, has also stated that she will join the protest.

The protesters are expected to don pink triangles at the Mass, as they did this past Sunday in Reusel.

Contact Information:

Fr. Luc Buyens
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish
Kerkstraat 1
5541 EM
Reusel, Netherlands
Phone: 0497-641360
E-mail: kerkreusel@hetnet.nl

Bishop Antonius Lambertus Maria Hurkmans
Diocese of Den Bosch
Parade 11
5211 KL
's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Phone: 073 6125488
Fax: 073 6136850
E-mail: info@bisdomdenbossch.nl

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Protests against Dutch Priest Who Refused Communion to Gay Carnival “Prince”
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022205.html

Gay Carnival “Prince” Denied Communion by Dutch Priest
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021704.html

[Scotswife]

I’m talking about anglicans, orthodox, lutheran.
I’m not sure about methodist?

There are other denominations that are similar in their approach, but they do not believe the Presence remains.