Communion Denied to Activists

[cmotherofpirl]

Communion Denied to Activists
Gay Rights Supporters Wear Rainbow Sashes to Minn. Mass

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 5, 2006; A07



More than 50 gay rights activists wearing rainbow-colored sashes were denied Holy Communion at a Pentecost service yesterday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in St. Paul, Minn., parishioners and church officials said.

In an act that some witnesses called a "sacrilege" and others called a sign of "solidarity," a man who was not wearing a sash received a Communion wafer from a priest, broke it into pieces and handed it to some of the sash wearers, who consumed it on the spot.

Ushers threatened to call the police, and a church employee burst into tears when the unidentified man re-distributed the consecrated wafer, which Catholics consider the body of Christ. But the Mass was not interrupted, and the incident ended peacefully, said Dennis McGrath, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

"It was confrontational, but we decided not to try to arrest the guy," he said.

The dramatic episode capped several years of increasing acrimony over the Rainbow Sash Movement, an effort by gay Catholics to counter what they view as homophobia in the church.

Beginning in 1997 in England, some Catholics have worn the sashes over their left shoulder to Mass each year on Pentecost, the day on which the New Testament says the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus's disciples. Because the holiday is a celebration of God's gifts, "we think it is an appropriate time to celebrate the gift of our sexuality," said Brian McNeill, a rainbow-sash organizer in Minneapolis.

For a few years, sash-wearers were allowed to receive Communion in some U.S. cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rochester, N.Y. But since 2004, most U.S. bishops have cracked down on the movement.

Last year, Cardinal Francis Arinze, head of the Vatican department in charge of worship, wrote a letter to Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul, stating that the rainbow sash is a sign of protest against the church's teachings on sexuality and that the Mass is not an appropriate forum for protests.

The movement's leaders insist that wearing the sash is not an act of protest.

"When Archbishop Flynn and Cardinal Arinze say it's a protest, I say, 'But you guys aren't the ones wearing it -- we are, and we see it as a celebration,' " McNeill said. "The premise of the sash is that gay people are part of the Catholic community, part of the people of God. We are there proudly celebrating Mass."

The number of those wearing rainbow sashes has never been large, and it appears to be declining. The largest single gathering was last year in St. Paul, where about 125 people were turned away from Communion. In most cities, there have been only a few wearing sashes.

None were reported yesterday in the Archdiocese of Washington, which has a policy of denying Communion to anyone wearing a visible sign of protest.

[jezic]

my fear is that soon the tears that clog my eyes now will run red ...

[Guest Rick777]

How is wearing that sash not a sign of protest? Do they think were stupid or something?

[jezic]

I think they miss the part of Jesus's message to the Pharisees. The pharisees are quite uncomfortable when he tells them how it is and how they really aren't living what they claim. They cry that they know the prophets and they are just fine. It is no different in our society today.

[Guest T-Bone]

[quote name='Rick777' post='998949' date='Jun 6 2006, 07:07 PM']
How is wearing that sash not a sign of protest? Do they think were stupid or something?
[/quote]

One man's flagrant sign of "solidarity" against Church doctorine and the instructions of a Bishop is another man's protest.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='998941' date='Jun 6 2006, 09:58 PM']
"The premise of the sash is that gay people are part of the Catholic community, part of the people of God. We are there proudly celebrating Mass."
[/quote]
Speaking to the objective side of things, homosexual activity is a mortal sin and therefore cuts the sinner out of communion with Christ and the Church, so this is entirely inaccurate.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Raphael

[KatS]

[quote]In an act that some witnesses called a "sacrilege" and others called a sign of "solidarity," a man who was not wearing a sash received a Communion wafer from a priest, broke it into pieces and handed it to some of the sash wearers, who consumed it on the spot.[/quote]

I can't get over the disrespect...

[heavenseeker]

ok i understand that they were for something the church is against but if they are catholic they should not be denied the mass

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='heavenseeker' post='999669' date='Jun 7 2006, 12:14 PM']
ok i understand that they were for something the church is against but if they are catholic they should not be denied the mass
[/quote]
They should be denied communion. Communion is sign and sacrament of Christian unity. Those who reject the Church and her teachings are not in real communion with the Church.

[thessalonian]

I didn't expect a battle at the Cathedral this year. I heard that there was a significant standoff with the man who grabbed the host for his gay friends. A Eucharist Minister and Usher pleaded with him to return the host but he would not. He was said to seem somewhat unstable. Anyway, since Flynn put his foot down it is easy to see the devil in all of this. I was a member of the Ushers of the Eucharist two years ago, who did a counter protest to the rainbow sashers. I have to say that I feel our protest, a very somber thing but the Eucharist had to be defended, was instrumental in bringing about the current policy. What is going on now is sad but it was worse when the Church was just handing over Christ to the dissenters herself.

[quote name='Raphael' post='999695' date='Jun 7 2006, 12:54 PM']
They should be denied communion. Communion is sign and sacrament of Christian unity. Those who reject the Church and her teachings are not in real communion with the Church.
[/quote]

The sash they where is a symbol of their disunity. The Archbishop simply asks that they take it off and then they can recieve. They refuse. The sash is more important than unity and the Eucharist. That is a protest.

[quote name='heavenseeker' post='999669' date='Jun 7 2006, 12:14 PM']
ok i understand that they were for something the church is against but if they are catholic they should not be denied the mass
[/quote]

They are only denied the Eucharist if they will not remove their sash. That is not an unreasonable request. So they are not denied the Mass.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

Do they think this will somehow change the teaching of the Church?

[phatcatholic]

from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal [emphasis mine]:[list][b]95.[/b] In the celebration of Mass the faithful form a holy people, a people whom God has made his own, a royal priesthood, so that they may give thanks to God and offer the spotless Victim not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him, and so that they may learn to offer themselves.83 They should, moreover, endeavor to make this clear by their deep religious sense and their charity toward brothers and sisters who participate with them in the same celebration.

Thus, [b][i]they are to shun any appearance of individualism or division[/i][/b], keeping before their eyes that they have only one Father in heaven and accordingly are all brothers and sisters to each other.
[. . .]
[b]160.[/b] The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.

[b][i]The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another[/i][/b]. [. . .]
[/list]

[homeschoolmom]

I was home by myself (for the second weekend in a row) on Pentecost Sunday... I was going to go up to the Cathedral, but well... I didn't.

[thessalonian]

It's gotten to the point that some of them need to be excommunicated. ONeil and his bunch.

I heard on the news the other night that Flynn has asked the Vatican to choose his successor as he will be retiring within 2 years. Now I think Flynn is a good bishop but he is not in the slightest authoritarian and I think after Roach and Flynn we're due for that. One of the speculations for his replacement is Bishop Aquilla of Fargo. Man would I like to see that. He just ordained my brother a deacon a few weeks ago. That guy is solid and doesn't put up with any of this kind of carp. He came to fargo a few years back and started preaching the straight truth. People complained because the Cathedral went empty. But a few years later it was full again, with young families and children. My sister goes there. I guess I would feel a little guilty about us taken him from her, but this Archdiocese could use him. St. Joan of Arc Parish wouldn't make the news anymore. I'm praying.

Edited June 9, 2006 by thessalonian

[OLAM Dad]

Yet another reason to eliminate communion in the hand.