Posted on 08/13/2013 6:28:26 PM PDT by Morgana
WOONSOCKET, RI, August 13, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Two Rhode Island men were told by their priest that, because of their same-sex “marriage,” he could no longer give them Communion, according to local news reports.
Lew Pryeor and Pierre Laveillee were “married” in 2007 and have been parishioners at Sacred Heart for two years. Lew Pryeor and Pierre Laveillee
However, Fr. Brian Sistare at Sacred Heart Church has challenged the couple to conform to the Catholic Church’s teaching, which says that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.
The subject reportedly arose during a meeting Pryeor had requested with Fr. Sistane on Monday. Both Pryeor and Laveillee told the media they were upset with the “new young priest” delivering homilies critical of Rhode Island Democratic Governor Lincoln Chaffee and the Democratic Party.
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Fr. Sistane, who declined to comment to LifeSiteNews.com for this story, has been vocal in his criticisms of both for their support of abortion and same-sex “marriage.”
He recently wrote to Rhode Island's legislators criticizing same-sex “marriage.” In the letter, he wrote, “Marriage has always been understood as the union between one man and one woman. This is a 5,000 year old fact!”
He added, “I’m wondering what you will do when a mother comes to you and asks to be married to her son, or a cousin wants to marry her first cousin, or when a man wants to marry 2 or 3 women, or a human being wants to marry his animal?”
Pryeor complained the sermons are “pushing people away” and that Fr. Sistane “should not be a priest but he should be a politician.”
The criticisms hit close to home for Lew Pryeor on more than one front. He ran for the Rhode Island Senate as a Democrat in 2012 and was endorsed by Fight Back Rhode Island, a same-sex “marriage” advocacy group. Pryeor lost to incumbent Marc Cote, who has voted against both civil unions and same-sex “marriages.”
Pryeor has turned to his Facebook community for support, posting that he could not “get communion anymore” at Sacred Heart.
Laveillee and Pryeor have indicated they will be looking for a new parish to attend. Prior to Sacred Heart, Pryeor and Laveillee were active in area parishes, including St Eugene’s, St Mary’s, St Anthony’s, St John and James’s, and St Catherine’s.
His Facebook supporters have encouraged Pryeor to “fight” the priest’s decision in hopes that the negative publicity will pressure the church to back down and give communion to homosexuals who publicly flout its teachings on homosexuality.
One woman encouraged him, “Lew, if you challenge this Fr. Sistare, I'll bet you will be able to keep going to this same church AND receive communion!” She added, “that would make headlines!!!”
Others have provided recommendations of “gay friendly” Catholic churches in the area.
“There are several 'Roman' Catholic Churches in your area who would be happy to accept your family,” wrote a man. “I just don't want this to be a reflection of the Church as a whole, but rather one ignorant priest.”
LifeSiteNews.com contacted the Diocese of Providence for comment on the situation, but the diocese did not respond.
Contact information:
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence Chancery Office Building One Cathedral Square Providence, Rhode Island 02903 401.278.4500
Excellent post, OH.
Good for the Priest.
(Have to give credit where it is due)
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It’s amazing to see how people can openly violate the teachings of the church and then expect to receive the Sacraments? What absolute arrogance.
Praise Jesus
“Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord”;
I was going to quote this and say that the priest is doing the guy a major favor!
Mel
It could still happen. When in doubt chanceries always go for the safe option: hanging the priest out to dry.
Non-Catholics usually imagine the Catholic Church as a top-down autocracy, in which the pope fires off orders and everyone salutes. It just isn’t like that. It never has been.
A metropolitan archbishop has certain rights, which cannot be simply swept aside, short of manifest schism with the Roman pontiff. In practice, a chief reason many bishops go squishy is because the people have lost the faith and no longer insist on his orthodoxy. In a healthy church, bishop and people sustain each other. In this faithless day, that is pretty rare.
Oooooooo, there are NOT gunna like this is “gay” RI...church, be damned!
Bingo!
And until they can do or say anything to your children.....
Bingo. But of course, that wouldn't help them achieve their actual goal, which is to force everyone else to celebrate their perversion.
Exactly. The priest and diocese (so far) are on the right track. May they have the resolve to stand fast.
I doubt they are ignorant and in fact, I think these confrontations are staged in an effort to bully churches into giving them what they want. In truth, they are more concerned with redefining God into their own image then conforming their lives to the standards of the one, true God.
Well, what did you expect when you decided to openly practice behaviour that the Church recognises as an abomination?
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Exactly. Keep your sin under wraps and you’re good to go, like the adulterers, fornicators, and those having had abortions do, so you can have all the Communion you want.
They are in no way reptentant nor do they seem interested in correcting their behaviour. Instead, they want a seal of approval for their behaviour.
They may keep the priest in the dark, but God knows what is going on. They are still committing a sacrilege (receiving Communion in a state of mortal sin) and will not be going to heaven until and unless they repent and seek forgiveness not only for the original sin, but the sacrilege as well.
I was going to say absolutely, or exactly, but I believe that I will follow suit of a number of my fellow Catholics: BINGO!
They are in no way reptentant nor do they seem interested in correcting their behaviour.
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Which ‘they’ are you referring to? Gays? Adulterers? Fornicators?
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