From CNAwith my emphases and [comments]:
Homosexual advocacy group not legitimately Catholic, military archbishop says
Washington D.C., Sep 22, 2010 / 05:54 am (CNA).- After receiving a letter from the group Catholics for Equality urging a change to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, the Archbishop for Military Services responded, saying that the archdiocese’s position is “clear.” The prelate added that the group “cannot be legitimately recognized as Catholic.”Archbishop Broglio
Catholics for Equality had requested a meeting with Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy Broglio, claiming he offered misleading and false arguments in his June 1 statement against allowing open homosexuals to serve in the U.S. military.
Last week leaders of the group joined a lobbying effort sponsored by Servicemembers United. They lobbied Congress and asked key senators and Catholic leaders to support changing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Catholics for Equality Board Member Patsy Trujillo, a former New Mexico state legislator, said the group was confident that senators would vote to change present policy.
“Further, we trust our Catholic Senators will vote in their conscience and the will of the pro-equality Catholics in their state, and not the misinformed dictates of Rome,” she said in a Catholics for Equality press release. [Do you see anything wrong in that statement? Look at the terms: “Catholic… consciences… misinformed dictates of Rome”.]
On Tuesday the U.S. Senate blocked the bill that would allow changes to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. While 60 votes were required to start debate, the final vote was 56 to 43.
In a Sept. 20 statement responding to a CNA inquiry, Archbishop Broglio said the Archdiocese for the Military Services has a “clear” position on a change in the present policy concerning the service of persons who “openly manifest a homosexual orientation.”
While his latest statement did not reiterate the archdiocese’s position, in a June 1 statement Archbishop Broglio opposed the policy change. Saying moral beliefs should not be sacrificed for “merely political considerations,” he explained that Catholic chaplains can never “condone” homosexual behavior.
At the time he also voiced concern that a change in policy might negatively affect the role of the chaplain in the pulpit, the classroom, the barracks and the office.
CNA’s inquiry to the archbishop recounted CNA’s previous report on Catholics for Equality.
The organization was founded by groups such as New Ways Ministry and Dignity USA with cooperation from the homosexual advocacy group Human Rights Committee (HRC). It aims to “support, educate, and mobilize equality-supporting Catholics to advance LGBT equality at federal, state, and local levels.” [But it completely subverts terms such as “conscience” and denies the Church her right to shape consciences of Catholics.]
It also charges the Catholic hierarchy with favoring discrimination and having an “anti-equality voice” that does not represent Catholics. [Archbp. Broglio is right: this is not a Catholic group.]
In his Monday statement, Archbishop Broglio explained that according to canon law a group may call itself Catholic if it has been approved by a bishop or recognized by the Holy See in some manner.
“It is doubtful that the group in question has such approval. Therefore, it cannot be legitimately recognized as Catholic,” he commented.
The archbishop also challenged any indication that the Catholic hierarchy does not represent Catholics.
“By definition that is impossible. The Body of Christ, as is clearly taught, is the Church united in communion: the hierarchy with the faithful joined with the Successor of St. Peter and untied to Christ our Head.
“Translating the language of political systems to the Church simply demonstrates a lack of understanding of what the Church is,” Archbishop Broglio commented.
He also insisted that Church teaching is based in love and truth.
“It is not the desire of the Archdiocese for Military Services to offend anyone, but there is an obligation to teach the truth in love, even when that truth is displeasing to some or politically incorrect to others. The Holy Father made that quite clear in Caritas in Veritate.”
Phil Attey, the present acting executive director of Catholics for Equality, is a former employee of HRC. Last year Attey created a website to “aggregate reports on every gay priest” in the Archdiocese of Washington to help them “stand up to the church hierarchy” on homosexual issues. [Nasty.]
The Catholics for Equality website asks readers to report “anti-equality activity” in Catholic parishes, dioceses or community activities.
It appears that this group, or group of groups, is simply using Catholic identity as camouflage.
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Wow, no wonder so many of the youth and laity are confused. It seems that these groups have such ready access to the media, that it is hard to do “damage control”.
Again, all these folks need is a desk, and phone & a website to promote their agenda. They can call themselves whatever they want, and the media won’t care whether the name is correct.
Most concerning is the statement that “we trust our Catholic Senators will vote in their conscience and the will of the pro-equality Catholics in their state, and not the misinformed dictates of Rome.” They are trying to juxtapose “free-thinking conscience” with “Church authority in Rome.”
This is why the “argument from authority” doesn’t work when advocating the positions of the Church. The Church must propose, rather than impose, when teaching others.
As an aside, internal discipline is a different matter, such as the reception of Communion by pro-life politicians. This is a consequence for one’s position.
God bless Archbishop Broglio and give him the support he needs to continue being a shepherd who truly cares for the good of his flock.
Doesn’t surprise me at who is supporting this. New Ways Ministries is notorious with the Gay and Lesbian equality in the church. The two founders are still up to there old tricks. Fr Bob Nugent, who is priest at my former parish, was censured by Cardinal Ratzinger from speaking or writing about homosexuality. He still is in favor of homosexuality in the church. Sister Jeanine Gramack refused to sign the documents by Cardinal Ratzingers office and recant her positions. She still is involved with them and is big with the Human rights and justice circles. I’m glad the Archbishop spoke out about them. They are just progressives using Catholicism to look innocent.
His Excellency needs to speak up like this more often. We here in DC could use this voice.
My blog email account somehow got put on their mailing list. Thankfully, by the grace of God, it didn’t take me long to realize that this group was “Catholic in name only.” Not too long ago, I might not have been able to discern that so well. I am glad that His Excellency has issued a statement about this group so that others might not be led astray. May God bless him and all of our shepherds with the courage to stand up against the wolves.
Good for the Archbishop-I just wish he would put a little more ‘teeth’ into his statements!
Call a ‘spade a spade’-practicing homosexuals do NOT belong in the military!
We have also received a string of e-mails from this group over at Cleansing Fire. At first I thought it was just some smart alleck who had added us to their mailing list, but now it looks like they are specifically contacting all Catholic blogs to disperse their propaganda.
The e-mails we have received include:
Catholics for Equality Responds to Today’s Senate Vote on DADT (9/21)
URGENT ACTION: Catholics for Equality Urges Supporters to Call Senate Offices to Repeal DADT (9/20)
Catholics for Equality Joins the Fight to Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (9/18)
By the way, the new WDTPRS layout loads a lot faster. Thanks!
May God continue to bless His Excellency.
My question: Is there something legally that can be done to take action against groups using the Catholic “brand” that have not been so approved? For instance, could an entity using the word “Catholic” in it’s name be somehow given a “cease and desist” action if , for instance, it openly advocated female ordination, or as in this case, defended a position that is contrary to Catholic teaching? I can’t imagine that it would take too many legal actions before we would be referring to the “National Reporter”…..
To give this matter some perspective, it’s significant that the first sexual scandal after the passing of DADT was the egregious HETEROSEXUAL misbehavior of the Tailhook Scandal.
Don’t waste your time like I just did looking at their website. Do good–and avoid evil!
Fr. Basil, I wouldn’t put too much credence in what scandals the mainstream media (pro-gay, anti-Catholic Church) decides to report as proof for your statement. If there had been one involving gays they would have suppressed it or recast it to make those in authority look bad. Just like the mainstream media fails to mention when “reporting” on the priest sexual scandals, that in the US, more public school teachers (union members, primarily Democrats) commit more sexual abuses on minors than priests. They’re biased lefties.
“Misinformed dictates from Rome”
Lady, why do you even call yourself a Catholic?
““Further, we trust our Catholic Senators will vote in their conscience and the will of the pro-equality Catholics in their state, and not the misinformed dictates of Rome,” she said in a Catholics for Equality press release.”
Where have I heard this before??? Hmmmm???? Pondering…pondering. Oh wait, this is just heterodox NewSpeak for a certain former Archangel’s “Non Serviam…”
Kudos to what TJerome said too.
Like HeatherBarrett, my blog email somehow got on their list. I am happy His Excellency responded to let people know this is just another bunch of CINO's running amok. Thank the Good Lord that we have a Pope and some bishops with a backbone!
I am extremely pleased that Archbishop Broglio spoke up on the the matter, but there needs to be more said by bishops in general regarding progressivist groups claiming to be Catholic, and it is high time that such groups that speak in a way as to mislead the flock face consequences within the Church.
For too long have groups like these been allow to claim that they are Catholic, just like liberal poiticians who promote the 'culture of death' and are still allowed to receive the Eucharist. This is all very confusing to poorly catechised Catholics and creates an environment of scandal. A uniform stance must be made so that people truly understand that this drivel about conscience deals with a well formed conscience guided by the Church, not a relativistic mindset wishing not to offend the world. Yet, this will not happen, until groups like these are either brought into line with Rome or removed from our ranks, and our bishops need to stand united to help facilitate this.
\\just like the mainstream media fails to mention when “reporting” on the priest sexual scandals, that in the US, more public school teachers (union members, primarily Democrats) commit more sexual abuses on minors than priests.\\
First time I heard that school teachers were more likely to sexually abuse children WAS from the MSM.
As far as the political affiliations of those teachers who do this, I think you really have no more idea about them than I do.
I have also seen DADT enforced in a very selective and hypocritical manner. One state legislator from my city was known by one and all to be gay, but he wasn't mustered out under DADT until he was no longer needed for cannon fodder–even though he had served overseas (with everyone knowing he was gay) with distinction.
Wow, and I thought I couldn't respect any Broglio less.
“Most concerning is the statement that ‘we trust our Catholic Senators will vote in their conscience and the will of the pro-equality Catholics in their state, and not the misinformed dictates of Rome.’ They are trying to juxtapose ‘free-thinking conscience’ with ‘Church authority in Rome.'”
Agreed. Austin Ruse had a good post back in June on The Catholic Thing where he discusses the “Good Church/Bad Church” meta-narrative dissident groups use. More distressing is when Catholics who ought to know better insist on the “independent thinker” fallacy: They can only be “independent” if they think in conflict with the Church; if they agree with the Church, they’re “mindless sheep”. “Free thinking”, so far as I’ve heard, is only free if you think in one particular direction. (For myself, I’d rather be right with the assistance of others than wrong on my own resources … if those were the only two choices available.)
I don’t think it’s harsh or judgmental to say that Catholics For Equality, like New Ways Ministry and Catholics For Choice, are Protestants who haven’t recognized the fact that they’ve left the Church.
Is there a Broglio you respect less? And is there an articulate reason you disrespect Archbishop Broglio, as opposed to this other Broglio? Normally, PostCatholic, you’re pretty good about stating the grounds for your opposition; why, in this instance, did you content yourself with drive-by snarking?
Does no one else find it slightly odd that, by supporting DADT, the bishop is supporting a policy that makes mendacity a condition of employment? I understand many here are very comfortable with the idea of denying employment to gays simply because they are are gay. But, I’m surprised at the casual acceptance of the official promotion and sanction (not to mention episcopal blessing) of lying as a condition of employment.
“I am happy His Excellency responded to let people know this is just another bunch of CINO’s running amok…”
No, these are worse than CINO’s… this is an ANTI-CATHOLIC group posing as a Catholic Advocacy group. Judging by the language, these folks hate all that the Church stands for.
I’m personally pretty quite acquainted with him. You’re right, this wasn’t my best effort and it would have been better to sit on my hands than to comment in such a way. I think out of respect for others here I won’t expand on my comments; I shouldn’t have made any in the first place.
I really need to proofread better. *Broglio any less, and *personally quite acquainted.
OK for all of you (practically everyone) with more computer skills than I how do you attach a photo to your username? Reply to exlasd@msn.com Thanks
Fr. Basil, if you learned that fact from the mainstream media it must have been buried near the want adds. Do a google search and you would find that this fact was never widely reported in the MSM compared to facts about molester priests. If you don't think these teachers aren't overwhemlingly Democrats, I have some swamp land in Florida to sell you. The MSM, by the way. votes 90% of the time for the Democratic Party candidates for president. I guess you don't think that colors their reporting either. By the way, are you supportive of the gay agenda?
Bravo Zulu* to Archbishop Broglio!
Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer
LCDR, USN [ret]
______________________________
*—NATO phonetic alphabet signal code for “Well done.”
EXCHIEF,
You need to have a picture of suitable size (there is a file size limit on the image), go to your WordPress account profile (it is not unambiguously obvious how to do this on demand) and locate the section of your profile where it allows you to upload an image/icon to be used as your “picture.” Perhaps someone else can tell us how to get to the Word Press profile directly. Sometimes it takes me there when I log in, some blog sites have a link, but my experience is that it is not always intuitively obvious how to do that.
Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer