Posted on 07/05/2004 8:31:36 PM PDT by RFT1
"In a time when right wing conservatives of many churches condemn the lifestyle of homosexuality, some excluding gays and lesbians from worship while perpetuating a message of hate, St. Joan's has been steadfast in welcoming their GLBT parishioners. A monthly potluck support group run by Ron Joki and Theresa Healy allows for an outreach of connectiveness. An annual GLBT spiritual retreat explores biblical readings, meditations, rituals, play and musical skits with guest performers and speakers that confront negativity, challenges exclusivity and affirms acceptance and healing. This very website includes a GLBT section devoted to updates of relative news, GLBT families, same-sex adoption and potluck meetings. And SJA continues their presence in marching in the Pride parade each year"
Our great Pope, JPII, recently wrote that he wondered if he should have been more strict in Church governance. He chooses not to be. Now, it is not my place to tell him how to run God's Church, and we can go round and round about whether it is God's ordained will or His permitting will that allows such heterodox men to stay in high positions .
To answer your analogy about chickens and transmitting lethal disease I would say that for our purposes the etiology is well known. The treatment is immediate sequestration and incineration of any infected before they kill other healthy chickens.
Chickens do not have free will or the ability to reason. Humans do have those faculties. I do not accept the argument that eliminating the bad ones will also eliminate the good ones. That is the usual line used to provide cover for so many to not act with proper speed and diligence.
Archbishop Harry Flynn held a 55-minute closed meeting Tuesday with the leaders of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, a highly unusual gathering that focused on the parish's approach to doctrine, specifically homosexuality....
The Rev. George Wertin, St. Joan's pastor, declined to comment, but one of the parish council members, Raymond Spack, said, "He [Flynn] listened. The archdiocese has set the process in motion of listening and dialoguing and clarifying." ....
In a carefully worded message in last Sunday's bulletin, Wertin wrote, "We want to reaffirm to the Archbishop our commitment to faithfully proclaiming the Gospel and breaking open the Word of God at our Sunday liturgy." ....
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