Posted on 01/09/2008 1:45:44 PM PST by NYer
Gavin Newsom, the divorced San Francisco mayor who provoked a constitutional crisis in 2004 by granting marriage licenses to 4,000 same-sex couples, has chosen the historic Mission Dolores Basilica for a family Mass on the occasion of his inauguration to a second term.
Newsom and his family are scheduled to attend Mass at Mission Dolores tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 8, in what his press office is calling a “low-key” second inauguration. Following the Mass, his father, William Newsom, a retired state appellate judge, will administer the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony at San Francisco City Hall.
Given his record, it is difficult to understand why Newsom would choose a Catholic church – or why any Catholic sanctuary would agree to it. In 2006, Newsom – who describes himself as a “lifelong Catholic” – cancelled a trip to Rome for the installation of former San Francisco Archbishop William Levada as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Newsom said he decided not to go in protest of the Church’s position against homosexuals adopting children.
"The idea, the principle that two loving parents of the same sex can't be great parents and that this church is now going to start attacking gay adoptions in this country and around the world was really disconcerting," Newsom told the San Francisco Sentinel.
Last year, Newsom scandalized even ultra-liberal San Francisco when he confessed to an affair with the wife of one of his closest and most trusted aides. Newsom admitted to a brief sexual fling with the wife of Alex Tourk, who at the time was manager of Newsom’s re-election campaign and previously a trusted member of the Newsom administration. Newsom said he had a drinking problem and that the affair occurred while he was undergoing a divorce from his first wife. Tourk resigned; Newsom entered a rehabilitation program.
On Feb. 23, 2007, Newsom issued the following proclamation: "Be it resolved that I, Gavin Newsom, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, congratulate Colt Studios on the occasion of their 40th anniversary and proclaim February 23, 2007, as Colt Studio Day in San Francisco!" Colt Studios is one of the largest purveyors of hardcore homosexual pornography in the world. Colt’s web site lures visitors by telling them to "come inside to experience the hottest man-on-man action."
Newsom also issued a proclamation welcoming the 2007 Folsom Street Fair, whose publicity mocked Christianity by lampooning the Last Supper. The publicity poster, which created a national outcry, showed Jesus and His disciples as leather clad homosexual sadomasochists who, instead of sharing bread and wine, were gathered around a table full of sex toys. The event honored by Newsom describes itself as “the world’s largest leather event.”
“Mission Dolores has always had a central place in the religious, civic, and cultural life of San Francisco,” says the Mission Dolores web site. “Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded June 29, 1776, under the direction of Father Junipero Serra and is both the oldest original intact Mission in California and the oldest building in San Francisco.
“True to its origins, the Basilica Parish of Mission Dolores remains an important part of the community as the center of a vibrant, diverse parish which ministers to all in need.”
Ping
Newsom is Catholic? Who knew? When his former wife pantomimed oral sex at a public event, I would have never thought! I guess a San Francisco Catholic is a little more liberal than most.
Gavin was also having an affair with his best friend’s wife. Real Christian dude.
this is insane, and does not cause me to think well of Bp. Niederaur.
You were thinking well of him before this???
< Snicker >
No.
But I’m open to persuasion.
I’m sure they’ll have no trouble finding a gay priest to officiate.
Mary, Queen of the Americas, pray for us.
I’m afraid the answer will be, “Not a chance”.
I imagine the archbishop will not even lose a minute’s sleep over this. I wonder if the issue is even on his radar screen.
I mean, he would actually have to face scorn and ridicule for doing the right thing. Couldn’t have that, now could we! Better not to ruffle any feathers. Wouldn’t want to embarrass the mayor or make him feel bad!
By the way, I’m going to go look up how old the archbishop is, so I can begin to count down the days until his retirement!
What's to pray about??? Jesus will be at that Mass in person...
And that brings up a question...When a priest conjures up Jesus at a Mass, does Jesus have a choice which Mass He shows up at???
God is faithful, and He keeps His promises. He is omnipotent, and as long as the priest does what the Church does and has the faculties, Jesus is there. At least in the Latin/Western tradition, the form of the sacrament is "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood." Once the priest says that, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ is present. Of course, that's the bare bones form of the consecration.
Gavin “Any Twosome” Newsom.
Jesus is there. He doesn’t like it much when people eat and drink of His Body and Blood unworthily. St. Paul had a few things to say about that.
Black Mass.
This is offensive. A priest doesn’t “conjure up” anything. Unless you are fully acquainted with the Catholic faith (I’d suggest a thorough reading of the Catechism of the Catholic Church first), please refrain from making these kinds of snide remarks.
Before another scandal erupts, the Vatican should be flooded with e-mails about this. Does anyone know the appropriate e-mail addresses of offcials to contact?
As a Catholic, I am disgusted at the media for getting involved in something that is none of anyone’s business. If the Mayor takes communion than he will have to explain it to God. I am sick of this who takes communion business. They started this back when Reagan tried to take communion or did take communion as a non Catholic (I don’t remember which why it resulted).
Well, he might have to explain it to God, but the bishop or priest who gives him communion should have to explain it to Rome. The mayor is a public figure who speaks and works against all of the teachings of the Catholic Church to which he supposedly belongs. He’s the source of scandal and in his public capacity misleads the faithful. This problem wasn’t created by the media, but by the mayor himself.
That said, if Abp Neiderauer has no problem giving Communion to a drag queen dressed as a nun, I’m not expecting him to have much of a problem with the mayor, either.
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