Gay Catholics plan 'respectful presence' along pope's route (spew massive chunks alert)

Dayton Daily News ^ | 4/13/2008 | Khalid Moss

[markomalley]

Not all Catholics are welcoming Pope Benedict XVI with open arms. Gay Catholics and especially gay Catholics associated with DignityUSA will launch formal protests in Washington and New York against Benedict and his "anti-gay stances."

Mark Matson of Powell, Ohio, is president of the board of DignityUSA, the nation's largest organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics.

"We, along with many Catholics, disagree with the church's official position about teachings on sexual issues," Matson said. "Our particular area of focus is around sexual orientation.

"There are lot of faithful Catholics who dissent from the church's teachings on sexuality. For example, Catholics and birth control. Most lay Catholics don't follow the church's teaching on birth control issues or family planning. There are major disconnects between what Catholics do and what the church demands of them."

Matson characterizes DignityUSA as a "voice of faithful dissent." On Saturday, April 12, the organization will stage a protest demonstration — The Global Impact of Pope Benedict's Anti-gay Campaign — at Ralph J. Bunche Park across the street from the United Nations in New York City.

"The Vatican demands strict allegiance," Matson said. "The current pope is about orthodoxy. But a fundamental teaching of the church is the primacy of conscience. This means any Catholic whose conscience is well-informed by the teachings of the church ultimately has to follow their conscience."

On Tuesday, when the pope arrives, DignityUSA will demonstrate along the pope's motorcade route through Washington D.C. The group will be present during the pope's meeting with U.S. bishops Wednesday.

"We're going to have a presence on the parade route with signs," Matson explained. "It will be a respectful presence by a portion of his flock that has been ignored and vilified."

[markomalley]

Ain't life grand!!!

[markomalley]

For your lists...

[ConservativeMind]

People who believe being in an active homosexual relationship is congruous with Christianity are in for a rude awakening on Judgment Day.

[Albion Wilde]

The pope is trying to do them a favor. *sigh*

[the invisib1e hand]

mass-idiocy alert.

[lilylangtree]

They’ll be as respectful as the rowdy protesters were with the runners of the Olympic torch.

[gidget7]

Ignored and vilified? Please! If you sin, you sin, and to expect the Pope, of all people, to celebrate that sin is the epitome of narcissism! And a person who engages in homosexual sex has to claim to the word dignity. There is abolutely nothing dignified about it.

[martin_fierro]

Gay Catholics plan 'respectful presence' along pope's route

[buccaneer81]

Gay Catholics

Today's textbook definition of Contradiction of Terms.

[garylmoore]

“We, along with many Catholics, disagree with the church’s official position about teachings on sexual issues,”

They really need to get saved!

[Twink]

Ain’t that the truth.

[buccaneer81]

Oops, meant Contradiction in Terms. Iwas watching the awful opening sketch of SNL.

[Jonah Johansen]

Is there even such a thing as a “peaceful” left wing protest?

The media tries to cover for them with “a few protesters clashed with police” or “except for a small number...”

The organizers of these demonstrations not only know in advance that some of there number are going to vandalize property and attack police, in fact I am sure it is part of the over all plan.

In fact when conservatives actually try to have a non-vilimt protest against abortion or illegal immigration they are frequently met with violence.

[upchuck]

Gay Catholics

Oxymoron

[no dems]

"There are lot of faithful Catholics who dissent from the church's teachings on sexuality. For example, Catholics and birth control. Most lay Catholics don't follow the church's teaching on birth control issues or family planning. There are major disconnects between what Catholics do and what the church demands of them."

Wow!!! PICK AND CHOOSE RELIGION. How convenient to have a "faith" that has no "absolutes". If I like it, I'll embrace it. If I don't like a teaching, or doctrine, I'll reject it.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Gay Catholics and especially gay Catholics associated with DignityUSA will launch formal protests in Washington and New York against Benedict and his “anti-gay stances.”

Seeing how they’re all going to be conveniently in one place, can’t the Pope, you know, sorta mass-Excommunicate them, all at once? It would be convenient and efficient, and save everyone alot of bother and heartache later.

[Secret Agent Man]

respectful presence?: rosary and white leather butt chaps?

[FormerLib]

Not all Catholics are welcoming Pope Benedict XVI with open arms.

Then might I, though not claiming to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church, humbly suggest that they are not "Catholics" but something else entirely?

[DLfromthedesert]

They look dignified, don’t they?

[adiaireton8]

There are lot of faithful Catholics who dissent from the church's teachings ...

Basic logic should raise a red flag here.

-A8