Posted on 08/14/2005 9:17:15 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
I'll apologize in advance for this vanity post but I need to get this off my chest:
At our 10:30 a.m. mass this morning, our pastor was the celebrant. Today's Gospel was the story of Christ's meeting with the Canaanite woman and the eventual healing of her daughter. Our pastor then followed with his homily where he first related the plight of the Canaanite woman with a woman he knew who called him requesting prayers for an illness in her family which we could relate to since my wife and I are both contending with (minor, we hope) health issues.
The nest thing we know, the pastor is relating this to the "lady camped out in Texas asking for healing AND ACCOUNTABILITY" (the emphasis is my own). We sat there and listened through the sermon as he returned to the Sheehan story a few more times asking us to imagine an Iraqi woman who lost children in the same position.
Thankfully, it was pretty short and we stood for the Creed but then, immediately before the intercessions, the pastor returned to the topic.
This was too much for us so we turned and left, commenting to those around that we don't come to church to hear politics. I handed the usher my offering as we exited.
This is the first time something like this has happened in this church we have attended for the past twenty years or so and I feel pretty horrible about the whole thing.
Personally I'd have walked out alot sooner.
I would have walked out too.
CHICAGOLAND PING (St. Gerald's at 93rd and Central for those interested)
No need to apologize. It was good of you to keep us informed. Thank you.
You were put in an awkward position. I'm sorry to hear it. Thanks for sharing the story.
You should have kept it.
Revolting. I think you should write him a letter telling him that he had no business interjecting his political opinions into the homily. Also, see if you can find other people in the parish who were upset. I bet you weren't the only one.
I say this as somebody whose new BISHOP gave a homily after 9/11 saying it was all the fault of the US. I was so enraged I almost quit going to church, although I found that other people were also enraged and, in fact, many of them wrote to the bishop. He has turned out to be a good bishop, he's just a leftie in his political sentiments. But I think he has stopped spouting them quite so freely. Maybe your pastor will do the same.
I'd say that you restrained yourself admirably (at least compared to what I might have done).
Me too.....
ask you pastor if he agress with some of her quotes
I'm literally nauseous over the whole thing.
You did the right thing. Priests should not attempt to brainwash parishoners and they should stay out of politics. (Separation of Church and State, I believe is the term.)
I hope you don't feel horrible for walking out. I would have as well. If you feel horrible for anything, it's that this church you've attended for 20 years has done something to make you walk out, and you may need to find a new one. (Assuming this was not a "guest pastor", as you referred to him as "our.")
Interesting. Our pastor last night made similarly obnoxious, though not as blatant, comments.
He called on us to reject racism and predjudice (fine so far), then likened the Canaanite woman to muslims whom "we feel free to search anytime, anywhere."
This is a new pastor and it's only the second of his homilies I've heard, and both times he's made a political comment. Yuck.
You did the right thing.
You can always find another Church if it contunues.
I would have walked out too.
Perhaps this could be followed up with a letter to the Editor in your local newspaper so your Priest will know why you left and maybe spur others who share your feelings to follow suit.
Thanks for the ping. I'd give your Pastor the benefit of the doubt, he likely doesn't know the full extent of her commentary. It might be worth filling him in at some point.
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