Few Priests Sign Name to Ban Gay Marriage

Springfield Republican ^ | 12-30-05 | Bill Zajac

[marshmallow]

Despite the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church urging support for a petition against same-sex marriage, only 20 percent of priests who work in the Springfield diocese signed the petition, according to a Web site tracking the issue.

Of the 154 active local priests, 31, or 20 percent, signed the petition that seeks to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Information about petition signers was gathered from the Web site of the pro-gay marriage organization, knowthyneighbor.org.

Leaders of the organization said their Web site's petition database contains all the names accepted by the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office, which certified the petition.

The petition seeks to amend the state constitution to prevent gay marriages. The initiative must be approved by lawmakers during two successive legislative sessions before going on the 2008 ballot.

The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, the Springfield diocese's bishop, urged priests and parishioners to support the petition. In a letter to priests prior to the statewide petition drive several months ago, McDonnell wrote, "Help at the parish level is vital. I encourage the cooperation of your parish in this important campaign."

Various reasons were offered to explain why most priests didn't sign the petition.

The Rev. James J. Scahill, the East Longmeadow priest who has been outspoken critic of the church's leadership, said the clergy's lack of support for the petition reflects the refusal of priests to back an anti-gay measure. He said some of the priests are gay.

He said priests' refusal to sign the petition is an acknowledgment that same-sex unions are among people willing to make public commitments of genuine love.

Scahill said he didn't sign the petition because the state wasn't asking the church to "sacramentalize" same-sex unions.

[marshmallow]

A "deafening silence", as the saying goes.

I believe this is what's known as a "window" into the degree of homosexual infiltration in this particular diocese.

Color Springfield a bright pink.

[GSlob]

Color it a bright lavender.

[Rampolla]

Check out the commentary of Diogenes on this at www.cwnews.com "Off the Record." It is very illuminating.

[gbcdoj]

Please remember that MANY people who signed the petition are not on knowthyneighbor.org. Tens of thousands of signatures were thrown out (apparently including my own - I signed, but I'm not on knowthyneighbor).

[Tantumergo]

"I believe this is what's known as a "window" into the degree of homosexual infiltration in this particular diocese."

I am rather concerned that this "80%" figure seems to have cropped up again:

a) first we learnt that 80% of abuse cases were against adolescent males

b) then we were told by the bishops that homosexuals were no more prone to abusing juveniles than heterosexuals

c) now we learn that 80% of this diocese's clergy would not support the petition against gay marriage

Am I putting 2 + 2 together to make 5, or is 80% the possible extent of the problem viz homosexual penetration (no pun intended) of Amchurch's priesthood?

If the latter then no wonder the recent Vatican instruction on admitting "special people" to seminaries received such a lukewarm welcome!!!

I sincerely hope that gcbdoj's rationale for the low support is the right one, but.....

[servantboy777]

Silence is acceptance. I hope this is not the case.

[marshmallow]

Let's be generous and say that double the number of priests reported actually signed the petition, given "gcbdoj"'s news.

That's still only a 40% figure. In other words, a 60% no-sign cohort.

Still a very scary number.

[american colleen]

You might recall that Springfield's bishop, Bishop Dupre, resigned for health reasons maybe a year or so ago. Turns out that he was being 'outed' for having homosexual relations with a couple of boys when he was a parish priest. Last known location: St. Luke's Institute.

Fr. Scahill is kind of a local folk hero for withholding parish donations from the chancery until the bishop did something about one particular [defrocked] priest accused/convicted of abuse but still on the chancery payroll via his pension. Fr. Scahill and the parishioners did not want to contribute to the pension of the priest (Lavigne). IMO, although it grates to support these rotten priests, they would be out on the street and loose - possibly a danger to other kids - if not for the financial support and monitoring the chancery provides.

[american colleen]

I signed (at my parish) as well and my name is not on the petition. My husband signed (daughter brought home a form from her Catholic HS) and his name is on the petition plus the website. He has been having a back and forth e-mail war with the sponsors of the website knowthyneighbor.