Gay Episcopal bishop rebukes Detroit Catholic archbishop for anti-gay marriage remarks
** FILE ** Episcopal Bishop of New Hamshire V. Gene Robinson discusses his feelings Thursday, June 24, 2004, during an interview in Concord, N.H., about 36 of 39 parishioners from the Chruch of the Redeemer in Rochester, N.H., voting to leave the church because of Robinson being openly gay. Robinson, the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, has started treatment for alcoholism, a spokesman said Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006. (AP Photo/Lee Marriner) / AP
Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit gives the Good Friday sermon during the Good Friday services at Most Blesses Sacrament Cathedral on Friday, April 6, 2012. Hundreds sung and prayed during the service. WILLIAM ARCHIE/Detroit Free Press
Retired Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, who was the first openly gay man to become a U.S. bishop in the Episcopal Church, has written a Washington Post opinion piece denouncing Detroit Catholic Archbishop Allen Vigneron for saying Catholics who support gay unions or marriage should not receive communion.
Robinson, who recently retired as Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, wrote in today’s Washington Post “On Faith” blog that Catholic leaders such as Vigneron “profane the Sacrament” and use communion as “a manipulative tool” when they say Catholics who support gay marriage should not present themselves for communion.
“While some are seeking to withhold Communion from pro-choice and pro-marriage-equality Catholics,” wrote Robinson, “I have heard no call to withhold Communion from priests and bishops who have engaged in horrific sexual abuse against vulnerable children, nor their enablers.”
Vigneron told the Free Press earlier this month that Catholics who support gay marriage should not receive Communion, which Catholics believe is the body and blood of Christ.
Vigneron said those who receive Communion while supporting gay marriage “logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury.” A Detroit Catholic seminary professor and legal advisor to the Vatican, canon lawyer Edward Peters, also said Catholics who promote gay marriage should abstain from communion.
Those comments drew widespread attention and ignited a debate which continues to reverberate through social media sites.
After Vigneron’s initial comments, the Detroit archdiocese released a statement saying there are other serious matters which should preclude a Catholic from receiving communion.
“If a Catholic publicly opposes the Church on a serious matter of the Church’s teaching, any serious matter -- for example, whether it be a rejection of the divinity of Christ, racist beliefs, support for abortion, or support for redefining marriage -- that would contradict the public affirmation they would make of the Church's beliefs by receiving Communion,” said the statement.
Asked for a response and to describe the reaction that Vigneron experienced in the wake of his comments, an Archdiocese spokesman Wednesday declined giving details.
“With respect, we’ll not be offering a response to the op-ed or discuss the responses people have given to us,” said spokesman Joe Kohn. “We don’t really keep a scorecard of those types of things anyhow. Any individual who has a specific concern or question, we just try to answer as best we can.”
Robinson, who recently retired as Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, wrote in today’s Washington Post “On Faith” blog that Catholic leaders such as Vigneron “profane the Sacrament” and use communion as “a manipulative tool” when they say Catholics who support gay marriage should not present themselves for communion.
“While some are seeking to withhold Communion from pro-choice and pro-marriage-equality Catholics,” wrote Robinson, “I have heard no call to withhold Communion from priests and bishops who have engaged in horrific sexual abuse against vulnerable children, nor their enablers.”
Vigneron told the Free Press earlier this month that Catholics who support gay marriage should not receive Communion, which Catholics believe is the body and blood of Christ.
Vigneron said those who receive Communion while supporting gay marriage “logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury.” A Detroit Catholic seminary professor and legal advisor to the Vatican, canon lawyer Edward Peters, also said Catholics who promote gay marriage should abstain from communion.
Those comments drew widespread attention and ignited a debate which continues to reverberate through social media sites.
After Vigneron’s initial comments, the Detroit archdiocese released a statement saying there are other serious matters which should preclude a Catholic from receiving communion.
“If a Catholic publicly opposes the Church on a serious matter of the Church’s teaching, any serious matter -- for example, whether it be a rejection of the divinity of Christ, racist beliefs, support for abortion, or support for redefining marriage -- that would contradict the public affirmation they would make of the Church's beliefs by receiving Communion,” said the statement.
Asked for a response and to describe the reaction that Vigneron experienced in the wake of his comments, an Archdiocese spokesman Wednesday declined giving details.
“With respect, we’ll not be offering a response to the op-ed or discuss the responses people have given to us,” said spokesman Joe Kohn. “We don’t really keep a scorecard of those types of things anyhow. Any individual who has a specific concern or question, we just try to answer as best we can.”
No comments:
Post a Comment