A commenter on a previous post alerted me to this story. It wasn’t three Boston Catholic Charities board members who resigned over the decision by Massachusetts’ bishops to seek an exemption to a state law requiring they participate in gay adoptions. Actually it was seven members who resigned.
In a statement, the seven board members said they were “deeply troubled” by the course set by the four bishops, and said it “undermines our moral priority of helping vulnerable children find loving homes. ... The course the Bishops have charted threatens the very essence of our Christian mission. For the sake of the poor we serve, we pray they will reconsider.”
It’s not that the bishops are even saying no to any adoptions, just that they want the permission of the government to say no to gay adoptions. This is very mild request, yet see the extremity of their response.
This isn’t an esoteric element of Catholic teaching we’re dealing with here. It’s a very public and well-known moral teaching regarding human sexuality that’s been much discussed in the past several decades. They can’t claim that this snuck up on them. Plus it’s interesting that they seem to think the Church’s mission is to act as a social services agency, not as a witness to Truth. They seem to believe that temporal goods are more important than eternal salvation.
The magnificent seven
Technorati Tags: adoption, Boston, Catholic, charities, dissent, doctrine, homosexuality
The homosexual community is very well organized, and I can only guess with no evidence on hand maybe they had an e-mail campaign with these former board members. I don’t fear being called a bigot or full of hate or that I discriminate. The bond between male and female is unique, and even if procreation isn’t always the result from sexual intercourse, the unifying aspect of sexual intercourse allows us show God’s love to each other and foster the enviroment to let children grow.
Maybe isntead of getting these wishy-washy board members, we can have a stronger board that will lead Catholic Charities and Catholics to better works rather then playing politics. Prayers, and Thank You Cardinal-Elect O’Malley and the other bishops for standing up for outward sign of God’s love, in which on a man and a woman can create a child and be unified through sexual intercourse. It is proper to permanently place a child in an environment where there is a father and mother to represent both elements in how the child was created.
Can we send them a thank you card for the favor of leaving?
Wow, I’m glad the Spirit moved them. If the Good Lord wants them out, He gets them out. Strange ways… but great effect. Lord, give us board members to replace them who will be faithful to the mission of the Church!
Isn’t it amazing that something that was viewed by the faithful as “whimpy” by the Bishops looks so “tough” to those who oppose the teaching of the Church?
Its been so long that since we’ve had tough love in these parts, they think this is tough love? I pity them.
Wonderful!
And some people think there’s nothing good going on here in Boston!
Explanation? Maybe these sunshine saints could see the a big gunfight in the Boston corral coming soon. Resigning gets them out of the line of fire with an a parting shot at the Cardinal-to-be which is guaranteed to keep them in solid for life with the CINO community.
Related daydream? O’Malley goes to the Latin mass at Holy Trinity. He picks out seven people at random and appoints them to the Catholic Charities board. He has no more trouble with the board.
I watched Emily Rooney’s show tonight on WGBH in which she interviewed three of the resigning board members in one segment (two of whom, in the spirit of fair disclosure, were former colleagues of mine. whom I continue to like and admire) and followed that up with a one-on-one with Ray Flynn. The visual impact of this array alone suggests that three times as many Catholics in the RCAB oppose the granting of a religious exemption to Catholic Charities with respect to gay adoptions than are in favor of it. This seems to me a very blatant case of media bias, regardless of one’s own position on the issue. I have no knowledge about how the majority of Boston area Catholics think about the question of gay adoption, but I would be very chary about seeming to represent that that those who oppose it represent just one out of four unless I had data to support this view.
I find interesting the quote attributed to an anonymous member of The Gang of Seven: “The course the Bishops have charted threatens the very essence of our Christian mission.”
We should be reminded that the charting of a course for the Barque of Peter is left to Christ alone. He alone is responsible for the direction we take in our Church.
Following this metaphor, the bishops are re-taking control of the helm after mutineers have attempted to direct us on another course for lo, these many years. And in popular culture, mutineers have long been romantic characters, rebelling against tyrannic authority. One thinks quickly of Fletcher Christian on the Bounty of Ensign Roberts in the film Mr. Roberts, and Lt. Tom Keefer in The Caine Mutiny, all sympathetic characters rebelling against “unfeeling” captains.
But an interesting thing happened in The Caine Mutiny, if I recall the film correctly. Humphrey Bogart (playing Captain Queeg) is relieved of his command by the XO, at the instigation of Fred MacMurray’s character, Lt. Tom Keefer. Keefer is an Ivy League dilletante, only in the Navy as a passing experience. After Queeg’s court martial, Fred MacMurray encounters a rather drunk Lt. Barney Greenwald (played wonderfully by Jose Ferrer). Here’s the dialogue:
Lt. Barney Greenwald: I wanna drink a toast to you, Mr. Keefer. From the beginning you hated the Navy. And then you thought up this whole idea and you managed to keep your skirts nice and starched and clean, even in the court martial. Steve Maryk will always be remembered as a mutineer. But you, you’ll publish your novel, you’ll make a million bucks, you’ll marry a big movie star, and for the rest of your life you’ll live with your conscience, if you have any. Here’s to the real author of the Caine mutiny. Here’s to you, Mr. Keefer.
[Splashes wine in Keefer’s face]
Lt. Barney Greenwald: If you wanna do anything about it, I’ll be outside. I’m a lot drunker than you are – so it’ll be a fair fight.
Remind you of anybody? The men and women who work tirelessly in the Church for the promotion of the Gospel, who sacrifice their own private advancement in the material world to make sure that others have the opportunity for eternal life—they are scorned by the dilletantes, who—although wealthy and famous in the eyes of the world—will never really “get it.”
God bless you, Bishop Sean, and the other bishops of Massachusetts. Take back the helm. Suffer the slings and arrows. Do the right thing, no matter what the cost in terms of public approbation.
To be clear, the quoted sentence was from a statement of the whole Gang of Seven (good name!) and not just from one.
That’s also an excellent and illustrative bit of dialogue.
I am delighted to see the 7 resigned. May more of their like-minded colleagues follow suit.
Does anyone know about several other practices of Catholic Charities which are almost, but not quite equally, as egregious? A friend heard recently that Catholic Charities has charged prospective parents as much as $30-40K to adopt a white baby in past years. Supposedly, they may also be giving out (or gave out in the past) contraception to poor women at some of their care facilities, and someone else said they had involvement in a needle exchange program of some sort. Anyone have any insights on these areas?
Yes, I can tell you for certain (witnessed with my own eyes) that in one group home for single mothers, Catholic Charities advertised for “safe sex” and condom usage. When I complained, I was told that such advertising was a requirement because it was state-funded.
The REAL issue that has not yet been addressed is the alignment with gay-advocacy agencies in programs sponsored by Catholic Charities, and in referrals of Catholic clients to these same gay-advocacy agencies by Catholic Charities. At particular issue is their continued referrals of parents to PFLAG, a practice which only came to an official end when I complained to Dr. Doolin about the practice and copied Bishop William Murphy (now of Rockville) on the complaint letter.
Thanks,Fr. Jim Clark, for the information about Catholic Charities’ referral of Catholic parents to PFLAG. The program was called “Companions”. Catholic Charities members who were involved were Fr. Phillip Earley,Vivian Soper(L.I.C.S.W.), Pat Dunn(L.I.C.S.W.), and Dr. Joseph Doolin,Director of Catholic Charities. Dr. Doolin invited Charles Connors, the Pres. of Boston PFLAG, to help with the development of the Companions program. Also invited to join them was Fr. John J. White(now deceased), the co-owner of the gay bed and breakfast in Palm Springs,CA, with Fr. Paul Shanley until they sold it in 1997.Fr. Walter Cuenin was alsovery much involved. “Companions” was developed in 1999. The first Mass was held at Our Lady Help of Christians with Fr. Walter Cuenin, Fr. Richard Lewandowski(St. Camillas’,Fitchburg), Fr. Robert Congdon,and Fr. Earley con-celebrating the Mass. The next meeting was on Nov.17 at Our Lady’s to hear Fr.James O’Donohoe,professor at Boston College and St. John’s Seminary, explain the teachings of the Church on homosexuality. He emphasized that it was not a sin, just a “proclivity” like “a desire for chocolates” . Pat Dunn dismissed the work of the Courage program which is approved by the Vatican as worthless. Fr. Lewandowski introduced Charles Connors to Catholic parents and tried to convince them to join PFLAG. Fliers for Fr. Lewandowski’s GLO(PFLAG) ministry and fliers for the Catholic Parents’ Network/ New Ways Ministry program at Immaculate Conception Church,Stoughton,were distributed by Jean Proia. At the next meeting(Dec. 8,1999) at the Joseph House at St. Patrick’s,Natick, parents were encouraged to join PFLAG by Vivian Soper. When I asked her if Cardinal Law knew what the Companions program was advocating, I was physically thrown out of the room! So it’s news to me that the program was officially closed down! When I wrote to Bp. Murphy, the Moderator for the Boston Archdiocese at the time, I received the response that I just didn’t appreciate all that Catholic Charities was doing for Catholic parents! Thank you, Fr. Clark, for supporting Catholic parents who were being gravely deceived!
I notice that all seven who quit are media and PR people. It seems we’re not seeing experts in medicine, social work, mental health, refugee aid, finance, ethics, business management, and non-profit management heading for the exit. (Does the board have some of them?)
Of course, the surprising part is that these media and PR people had a weak grasp of Catholic ethics: who’d have thought it?
Anyway, did Catholic Charities really need seven media people (at least) on the board?
Actually, Alice, when I said “shut down,” I was referring to the simple practice of referring folks to PFLAG. In response to my complaint, without admitting it was in response to my complaint, they began this “Companions” program—which I thought died from lack of interest, but may very well be alive and flourishing (like fungii flourish in the damp, dimly-lit cellars where they’re grown).
I didn’t realize that Fr. Congdon was involved in “Companions,” although I knew that Fr. Earley had long been involved via Catholic Charities in homosexual advocacy (like Fr. Cuenin, although he was not involved in CC to the best of my knowledge).
Interestingly, Fr. Earley also employed as “business manager” in his parish a priest who had long since been given his walking papers by the Archdiocese for homosexual involvement with young boys. This info came to light courtesy of the “crisis” (read: “scandal”).
The “Companions” program was CC’s attempt to reorganize their heterodox ministry to parents of self-titled “gays” so that it wouldn’t be so clearly seen as such. Everyone I know who was present at its inception tells me that it was the same content, different wrapper.
RC
Re:Anyway, did Catholic Charities really need seven media people (at least) on the board?
Ans.: No They could do very well with one Alice Slattery.
Has anyone noticed that she has a book on all of these perps.
God love you Alice!
To be clear, I don’t think they were all media & PR people. Peter Meade is exec VP at Blue Cross Blue Shield.Is he a PR VP?