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Rockford, IL, Parish Divided over Dismissal of Homosexual Choir Leader
Chicago Tribune ^ | 07-09-03 | Mastony, Colleen

Posted on 07/09/2003 6:24:49 PM PDT by Theodore R.

Gay choir leader's firing turns into a test of faith Dismissal of popular director has brought disharmony to the flock at Rockford parish

By Colleen Mastony Tribune staff reporter Published July 9, 2003

ROCKFORD -- The new choir director was one of the best things that ever happened to Holy Family Catholic Church. Everyone said so.

He brought together businessmen and blue-collar workers, students and senior citizens to make music that lifted the whole parish--until last month, when church officials learned he is gay.

A lawyer and two priests confronted Bill Stein on June 17 and asked him to renounce his partner of 10 years, Stein said. When he refused, they fired him.

His dismissal has divided the flock at Holy Family, setting the choir against other members of this parish of 2,760 families, the largest Roman Catholic parish in the city.

Stein, 35, considers himself a devoted Catholic and said he has never flaunted his homosexuality or his relationship with his partner, Manny Ahorrio, 37.

Church leadership told him he could keep the full-time choir job he had held for five years if he took a vow of chastity, Stein said. But for him, the vow would be a lie, something he could not do as a Christian.

"When they asked me to make that promise, with all my dignity as a child of God, I could not do that," he said. "I was fired from a position that I truly loved."

Parish officials referred calls to the Diocese of Rockford. Diocesan officials declined to comment on Stein's dismissal.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: alteredtitle; billstein; catholic; congregation; homosexual; il; minister; notanexcerpt; parish; rockford

1 posted on 07/09/2003 6:24:50 PM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: Theodore R.
Do they ask unmarried heterosexuals to take a vow of chastity as a condition of employment?
2 posted on 07/09/2003 6:30:21 PM PDT by Lorianne
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3 posted on 07/09/2003 6:31:50 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: Theodore R.
What should be done if the choir director is shacking up, or is prominent in a pro-choice campaign, or is married but isn't willing to welcome children into his family, or is divorced and remarried, etc.?
4 posted on 07/09/2003 6:32:02 PM PDT by 7 x 77
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To: Lorianne
Yes, chastity is "understood" in the church if one is unmarried!!!!! That's what people can't seem to comprehend.
5 posted on 07/09/2003 6:35:13 PM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: Lorianne
Do they ask unmarried heterosexuals to take a vow of chastity as a condition of employment?

Yes. (no offense, but DUH)

6 posted on 07/09/2003 6:36:38 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: 7 x 77
What should be done if

the choir director is shacking up,

Fired

or is prominent in a pro-choice campaign,

Fired

or is married but isn't willing to welcome children into his family,

If they confess this, fired, otherwise if they are childless one can not conclude it is due to choice merely by observation.

or is divorced and remarried, etc.?

If they followed the laws of the Church and obtained an anullment and are remarried in the Church, fine, otherwise---Fired.

7 posted on 07/09/2003 6:39:51 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: cyncooper
Right on!
Tolerance of evil is no virtue.
8 posted on 07/09/2003 7:11:11 PM PDT by Last Dakotan
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To: Lorianne
1 Cor 6:9-10 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be decieved. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
9 posted on 07/09/2003 7:56:10 PM PDT by miner89
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To: Lorianne
Even better - if they are going to run a choir director out for being homosexual, shouldn't the church be running a bunch of priests out? After all, the priests are in an even bigger, more influential roll.....

And, yes, I do see their logic in their action - I am definately no Homo-rights activist. I just think what's good for the goose is good for the gander...
10 posted on 07/09/2003 8:19:10 PM PDT by TheBattman
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To: Theodore R.
firing
11 posted on 07/09/2003 11:21:31 PM PDT by SMEDLEYBUTLER
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To: Lorianne
you ask if they force heterosexuals to take a vow of chastity? Actually, if an employee was living outside of marriage, or had an irregular marriage, the answer is yes.

An irregular marriage would be a divorced person who remarried outside the church.

And if the choir director was openly known to be promiscuous, the answer is yes.

Usually the church ignores sins, which is why confession in the 5th century changed from open repentence in front of the congregation to a private confession to a priest.

But if a person openly is living in sin, it is different. This is scandal, i.e. a triple sin, one sinning (which we all do) the second is refusing to repent in the sin, the third is insisting that we are not sinning at all, and insisting others approve of our sin.

By insisting he is doing nothing, by sinning in public, and by taking the case to the press (I suspect the gay choir director is the one publicizing this to shame the church) he is showing he is not a true christian, but a person tryihg to "modernize" the church into approving of his sin....
12 posted on 07/10/2003 4:46:26 AM PDT by LadyDoc
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To: TheBattman
priests who are actively homoesexual are thrown out of the priesthood. Priests who are actively heterosexual are thrown out of the priesthood.

A homosexual or heterosexual priest who is not sexually active and who keeps his vows is allowed to stay in.

A priest who has broken his vow but repented and is sorry is allowed to stay in...

The difference is repentance and sorrow for sin, and a determination to live in purity.
13 posted on 07/10/2003 4:51:05 AM PDT by LadyDoc
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To: Lorianne
Do they ask unmarried heterosexuals to take a vow of chastity as a condition of employment?

Are you suggesting that if they had found that he was living, unmarried, with a woman or was involved in an adulterous relationship they wouldn't have done the same thing? Your emotions are clouding your good sense.

They didn't discriminate against him, but against his behavior. They invited him to get right, for the health and security of his own soul first but also to set a proper example for his fellow worshippers.

Their is no shortage of dead and dying liberal churches he can be choir director for and not be challenged on his sin. He will be picked up by one of them, I'm sure.

14 posted on 07/10/2003 5:00:02 AM PDT by Kevin Curry
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To: LadyDoc
priests who are actively homoesexual are thrown out of the priesthood. Priests who are actively heterosexual are thrown out of the priesthood.

That may how it's suppose to work, but how did the Catholic Church get in so much trouble with Priests molesting young boys - and getting nothing more than a transfer to another parish if they were caught?

It took the media and several brave individual victims to force the Church to admit it's problems and to take some real action. Even with such action, I doubt anyone can honestly say that ALL child molesters have been removed from the ranks. Repentance is a fine and wonderful thing - but a crime is a crime (at least until the SCOTUS changes that).

And as I said in my original reply - if they are going to clean house, they should really clean house.

15 posted on 07/10/2003 7:29:49 AM PDT by TheBattman
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To: Kevin Curry
I was asking a question. It seems to me they would state their employment policies up front, maybe ask employees to sign a morals agreement as a condition of employment, spelling out exactly what things would be grounds for termination. That way, everthing is upfront.

I couldn't access the article, so I don't know if they do that or not.
16 posted on 07/10/2003 11:14:18 AM PDT by Lorianne
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