San Francisco Archbishop Responds After Caught on Video Giving Communion to Gay Men Dressed as Nuns

LifeSiteNews ^ | 10/10/07 | John-Henry Westen

[wagglebee]

SAN FRANCISCO, October 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Last Sunday, October 7, San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer said Mass at a Catholic church in the heart of the 'gay district' of Castro.  Most Holy Redeemer parish has a lamentable reputation of having caved in to demands of homosexual activists.  One group of homosexual activists which until recently operated regularly out of the parish was called "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence", men who wear makeup and dress as Catholic nuns.  Archbishop Niederauer was filmed giving two members of this group Holy Communion Sunday.

The "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence", whose motto is "go and sin some more" and describes itself as a "leading-edge order of queer nuns," planned to hold regular bingo games at Most Holy Redeemer parish until Catholic activists reported the plans to the press.  A local homosexual newspaper, the San Francisco Bay Times, reported that the events at the parish included sexually explicit activities.  Prizes included porn DVDs and "sex toys" the paper said.

Since then the parish has refused the "Sisters" use of its facilities.  However, according to local Catholic activists some of the "Sisters" continue to attend services at the church.

Anthony Gonzales, president of St. Joseph's Men Society, a group which has taken action to curb outrageous anti-Catholic activities within local Catholic churches, spoke with LifeSiteNews.com about the incident Sunday.  Gonzales said that while his group decided to film the event and "let the evidence speak for itself."

 "This was such a blasphemous action within a Catholic Church by an Archbishop representing Roman Catholicism it would make Judas blush," Gonzales told LifeSiteNews.com.  "To hand over our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to known practicing and promoting sodomites, in the middle of a 'gay-friendly Mass' is beyond the pale.

Gonzales said his group is calling on the Vatican to take action.  "The Vatican has to react to this and has to remove him from office," he said.

Gonzales' group has not yet been able to post their video online. However, a separate video of the event has been placed online by the Catholic blogsite Quamdiu Domine and is available here: http://www.qdomine.com/Morality_pages/MHR.htm

LifeSiteNews.com contacted the office of Archbishop Niederauer for a response to the accusations.  A statement by Archbishop Niederauer sent to LifeSiteNews.com by Archdiocesan communications director Maurice Healy says that the Archbishop did not notice any "mock religious garb." 

"At Most Holy Redeemer Church Oct. 7, I noticed no protest, no demonstration, no disruption of the Sunday Eucharist," said Archbishop Nierderauer.  "The congregation was devout and the liturgy was celebrated with reverence. Toward the end of the Communion line two strangely dressed persons came to receive Communion. I did not see any mock religious garb. As I recall, one of them wore a large flowered hat or garland."

The "Sisters" were heavily involved in the recent Folsom Street Fair which in addition to full nudity and public sex acts by homosexuals involved included a mockery of the Last Supper with Christ and his apostles represented by leather-clad homosexuals.  Bishop Niederauer stressed that he had denounced the poster.  "In the past when the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or other groups have ridiculed the Church I have denounced their actions," said the Archbishop. "Only a week ago, Catholic San Francisco carried my remarks condemning the derisive use of the Last Supper on a poster printed by some other local group."

Americans for Truth, an Illinois based national pro-family group has joined in the call to have Vatican authorities made aware of the scandal.  Peter LeBarbara founder of the group encouraged "Catholics and other concerned pro-family Americans" to voice their concerns and provided the following contact information for Vatican authorities:

His Excellency The Most Reverend Pietro Sambi
The Apostolic Nuncio to the United States
The Apostolic Nunciature
3339 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008-3687
phone: 202-333-7121
fax:     202-337-4036

Cardinal William J. Levada
Prefect
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
[Secretary: Most Rev. Archbishop Angelo Amato, S.D.B.]
Piazza del S. Uffizio 11
00l93 Rome, Italy
Europe
phone: 011.39.06.69.88.33.57
phone: 011.39.06.69.88.34.13
fax:      011.39.06.69.88.34.09
email:  cdf@cfaith.va

[Das Outsider]

Perhaps Archbishop Niederauer would be willing to offer Communion to Rudy Giuliani as well.

[Das Outsider]

A whole lot of us have been wondering the same thing for a long time.

Excommunication is a real option, but apparently some clergy are afraid of offending impenitent offenders, both in Roman Catholic and Protestant church bodies. Heck, why not come to the Holy Supper dressed in a dog collar and bondage gear, alongside your BDSM slave?

These are the same kind of hireling clergymen that harbor illegal aliens in defiance of--and really, with contempt for--our nation's laws.

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

when i heard about the ORU scandal, it was disappointing. although we’re catholic, there’s been some Oral Roberts fans and methodists in our family, and it was sad to hear about this problem. Undoubtedly like all scandal, it will tempt some to lose or compromise their faith. Maybe the scandal will be mostly be exaggerated; MSM not exactly fair to Christians.

I would ask our Reformed FR brethren to not rejoice in our scandal; remember, all your spiritual ancestors were Catholics for 1500 years, like or not. As “mistaken” as catholicism is, your heroes like Hus and Luther’s parents learned this faith first. It is no longer the 1600s. We need to get along.

Re: “the one true Church” - no one should find offense with that. Surely you are convinced of the perfection of your own confession and I have seen on this board the Protestant attempts to show others the “defects” in Catholics’ beliefs. That is what the pope did with charity and respect.

You should really rejoice with us over the election of Benedict XVI. Here is an 80 year old man trying to stare down apostasy with patience, wisdom, and charity. I am convinced he does understand the depth of our problems. The pressures on any Christian leader are enormous. The stronger the catholic church is, all Christian denominations will have it that much easier.

[wmfights]

That which is impossible with man is possible with God.

Can't argue with that. :-)

[xzins]

You better not. I’d have gotten after you on that one. :>)

[wmfights]

I’d have gotten after you on that one. :>)

Boy would you be right!

[HarleyD]

I would ask our Reformed FR brethren to not rejoice in our scandal

I don't rejoice over scandals, in anyone's church/Church. It tends to give all Christians a black eye.

You should really rejoice with us over the election of Benedict XVI. Here is an 80 year old man trying to stare down apostasy with patience, wisdom, and charity. I am convinced he does understand the depth of our problems.

The easiest way to deal with the problem is force the Archbishop to retire. Paul was very clear people like this should be booted out. Failure to do so weakens the Church.

[xzins]

The easiest way to deal with the problem is force the Archbishop to retire.

Bullseye!

Precisely, HD. Whatever the process is that Catholics use to forcibly retire someone....do it with this guy.

[wmfights]

Precisely, HD. Whatever the process is that Catholics use to forcibly retire someone....do it with this guy.

Follow the money.

I believe the biggest contributors to the RCC are the members in the USA. If you truly start to apply church discipline how will it affect the receipts? Isn't it the same with the blind eye the hierarchy uses when it comes to all the Mary stuff. If they cracked down on that what would happen to membership in Latin America?

[magisterium]

I'm just curious...to what prophecies are you referring? Also, an anti-pope wouldn't actually be pope. Do you mean a pope who apostatizes?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Very well stated. I am not Catholic but I am better off with a strong Catholic Church. We share common values when true to Biblical teachings. This type of apostasy hurts us all.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Not one prophecy in particular. It’s an overall theme I’ve read from many of the saints including Pope Pius X - stories of the Pope fleeing Rome and being murdered in exile. I think it was Don Bosco who dreamed of the Pope trying to hold the Church together as it split in two.

I agree the antipope won’t be an elected pope. My personal guess is he will claim control after the Pope flees or is killed. A few prophecies claim there will be three or four contenders for the throne at one time - a German (Pope Benedict imo), the antipope and a Greek (maybe the Greek Orthodox Patriarch if the Pope is killed or believed so). It is predicted we will be without a pope for a period of about four years, then a strong traditional pope will be elected as the remaining living cardinals meet to vote. I know several people, myself included, who believe it will be Bishop Fellay.

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

thank you for your kind response

believe it or not it has happened, but i doubt it will for this
JP II retired a French bishop who was spouting explicit heresy, and there have been others. That’s what it generally takes: explicit open defiance/heresy or admitted/obvious grave moral lapse.
The Atlanta bishop resigned when his heterosexual affair was revealed, as have other bishops in the current homo scandals. Why the Vatican has not been more aggressive is a complicated issue. Unity is a very big deal in the Church. We believe that the bishops even the bad ones have the powers of consecration and the ability to split the body of Christ yet more. Schism, like divorce is against charity. I can be patient because the Church teaches the same as it always has-—every church or “ecclessial community”, if you will” :) has its problems. I will admit to being comforted by better leadership though. I agree with you though that this weakens the Church, as it causes scandal and detracts from the Church’s mission on many levels.

The Pope lamented the “filth” in the church’s clergy in his Good Friday talk in 2005. BXVI put under silence the 86 year old founder of a conservative order the Legionnaires apparently because he thought there was sufficient proof of sexual misbehavior-that too was never decided in the previous pontificate-—allowed to fester for years. Strange-the founder was apparently a bad apple but the priests who come out of the order are usually top notch.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

one more thing about the antipope. The prophecies say he will “usurp the throne” and many will accept him. I think this ties in with the coming one world religion.

[marshmallow]

"Animosity?" I don't see the RCs around here shrinking from a defense of their faith. Nor should they.

Defending the faith and anymosity are not synonymous. I think I can speak for many Catholics on this forum when I say that we defend on an "as attacked" basis but we don't go looking for other faiths to pull down. Our animus, if indeed it is that, is primarily directed against those who claim to be Catholic but who attack the Church from within. I think this forum bears that out.

The reason for this is that our daily lives are not directed towards Protestantism. We don't focus on it as a matter of course. Our identity is centered on the Catholic Church and it's spiritual life is sufficient for us. Methodism, Presbyterianism or Episopalianism are not a part of our raison d'etre nor do we feed off what happens within these communities.

On the other hand, Protestantism by definition, arose as a protest against certain aspects of Catholicism and so that forms a significant part of its outlook which continues today. Catholics are not protesting; you guys are and this forms a large part of your raison d'etre. This necessarily means that your focus is directed towards the object of your protest; the Catholic Church.

It goes without saying that this is not healthy and I think it helps to explain the bitterness and animosity which pervades so much of your writing. No amount of cutting and pasting Scripture can hide that.

[padre35]

“My idea of ecumenism is that you should be faithful to the Church you have been called to. My friends should try to be good Baptists or Methodists, as Jesus calls them, and I should try to be a good Catholic. We will always have our differences on certain issues, but there are many things we can work together and agree on, such as the right to life. Nothing is achieved by an ecumenism that calls on everyone concerned to give up every belief and practice that makes his Church different from any another”

And that is the issue for “me” I am an avid student of BOTH the Scriptures and the Patristics, yet I have been led to join no general congregation as of yet.

Unitarianism is not appealing, neither is wandering off the clear path of Scripture, yet I watch and observe all of these “forces” that are tearing at even the most basic fabric of Christianity and it troubles deeply.

It is better to look for the Faithful rather then the compromising, there is no Spirit in the Compromising that “i” have observed, there is no peace in the compromising that “i” have watched and observed.

Having been amongst Faithful and Strong in their Faith Catholics however, some of the replies so far show me that the roaring Dim of bad behaviour erases the good and true behavour and even worse subjects Christ’s name to Scandal.

This Bishopric doesn’t trouble me as much as how it came to be does bother me, what happened to the Church Militant?

Are there no more Sons and Daughters of the Catholic Church in that Diocese?

I hear the Elisas*, and wonder what happened, why is this allowed?

(Elisas, the Litany of the Saints, an ancient song of the Catholic Church)

[Patriotic1]

What wonderful sentiments! I wish I could share in them deeply, but I am so saddened by this. “Forgive them Father...”

[padre35]

“What wonderful sentiments! I wish I could share in them deeply, but I am so saddened by this. “Forgive them Father...””

Perhaps what the enemy meant for evil, God will turn to good?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

It goes without saying that this is not healthy and I think it helps to explain the bitterness and animosity which pervades so much of your writing. No amount of cutting and pasting Scripture can hide that.

Catholic threads outnumber Protestant threads here 10 to one. If our tone seems defensive to you, perhaps it needs to be.

"The Reformation is dying daily in our day when the Ecumenical Movement, and other forces like unto it, wish to soften the antithesis with Rome, today. I want to assure you that it's not my pugnacious debating nature that makes me say we must exalt that antithesis and guard it. It's my love for the Lord Jesus Christ and the purity of His word.

"Rome has not essentially changed. Rome declared that what it said at the time of the Reformation was infallible and could not change. Declared it to be irreformible truth. Rome has not changed and precious truths of God's word are still worth upholding even at the cost of unity even at the cost of being considered "troublemakers" in the religious world. We need to guard the antithesis against the destructive error of Rome." -- Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen, THE REFORMATION, October 28, 1990.

As for "cutting and pasting Scripture," I long to do even more of it. You should try it. You might see things differently.