Posted on 04/22/2018 7:51:45 PM PDT by ebb tide
Four days after a Great Falls priest called for a boycott of Mayfair, the Billings Catholic School’s annual fundraiser, Bishop Michael Warfel of the Great Falls-Billings Diocese weighed in on the controversy.
Warfel both wrote a letter that will be distributed to parishes and missions throughout the Eastern Montana diocese and he spoke to a reporter Saturday.
The bishop’s 1 ½-page letter was spurred by an incident last week in which the Rev. Ryan Erlenbush, priest at Corpus Christi Church, advocated on Facebook for the boycott after learning that a gay couple comprise two of the six co-chairs for the event.
The annual Mayfair Gala Dinner and Auction is the school system’s largest fundraising event of the year. This year it is expected to raise close to $500,000 and draw an estimated 650 people.
In his post, Erlenbush, an alumnus of Billings Catholic Schools, maintained that BCS “has lost its way when a prominent homosexual couple is advertised as the chairs for the annual fundraiser.”
“Why would any Catholic (Indeed, any Christian) attend or donate to Mayfair 2018?” he asked in the post. “What does a Catholic School have to do before people say ‘enough’ and take their kids (and their money) elsewhere?”
He concluded by saying: “I’m an alumnus of the Billings Catholic Schools and I say, ‘enough.’ ”
The post blew up, with people registering opinions either strongly in favor or vehemently opposed to the priest’s stance. Erlenbush eventually took it down.
Warfel, in his letter, without specifically mentioning the priest, referenced a local news story that detailed the incident. The bishop voiced his strong support for “the education and formation that students receive from Billings Catholic Schools.”
“I know many of the teachers personally and judge that they adhere to the Catholic teaching and value it as a guide for their lives,” he said. “In particular it is my conviction that students receive a solid presentation of Catholic faith in the areas of doctrine and moral life.”
Warfel acknowledged that BCS and the nonprofit Billings Catholic Schools Foundations are separate entities, though “obviously they have a connection.” He said he has had never been directly involved in the school system’s fundraising efforts.
The bishop also included three paragraphs of the catechism of the Catholic Church that outlined the Scriptural stance on homosexuality. While homosexual people are to “be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity,” under no circumstances can their actions — described as “acts of grave depravity” and “contrary to the natural law” — be approved, the portion of the catechism read.
In a nutshell, Warfel said, he supports BCS and the work it does. But he reminded his readers that Catholic Scripture is clear regarding homosexuality, “distinguishing between the inclination and behavior that is contrary to the moral teaching of the Church.”
In the telephone interview, Warfel, who initially was reluctant to talk specifically about Erlenbush, said the priest’s post was spurred by comments he had been getting from people in Billings. Warfel said he didn’t think the priest was out of bounds, but he questioned Erlenbush’s methods.
“He’s a Catholic priest holding up Catholic principles,” Warfel said. “The issue is not the principle, the issue is how things were communicated. I would judge there are better ways to handle it.”
Jesus communicated with a whip and drove the vendors from the temple...Would that have been a good way of communicating the message???
Yes.
If the couple resigns, the controversy is over. If they help the Church and Foundation and their souls, they will.
Another bishop without a spine
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