10/17/2007
SF Archbishop Under Fire for Serving Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
San Francisco's top Catholic official, Archbishop George Niederauer, is under fire from Catholic leaders because two Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence received communion from him on October 7 at the Holy Redeemer Church in the Castro.
The service was videotaped and posted on the internet, where it caught the attention of Bill O'Reilly, who was happy to fan the flames.
O'Reilly wrote: "Last Sunday, at the Catholic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Archbishop George Niederauer was celebrating mass. As part of that ritual, holy communion is given to Catholics by the celebrants. Two gay militants in bizarre dress took communion from the archbishop in an attempt to mock the mass and the man. — The people who did this are members of a militant homosexual group that runs around San Francisco dressed as nuns. All city officials are aware of the group because in the past they have publicly demeaned Christianity. The Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, has refused to comment. The District Attorney, Kamala Harris, says she is waiting for a complaint to be filed. The Catholic Church says it will do its own investigation and doesn't want the police involved at this point. The archbishop has apologized, saying he's embarrassed and sorry he gave communion to people committing sacrilege."
Now, Niederauer has written a letter of apology to "Catholics of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and to Catholics at large" according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It reads, in part: "At Communion time, toward the end of the line, two strangely dressed persons came to receive Communion. As I recall, one of them wore a large flowered hat or garland. These two people have long made a practice of mocking the Catholic Church in general and religious women in particular. Someone who dresses in a mock religious habit to attend Mass does so to make a point (that) was intended as a provocative gesture."
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom responded: "This debate really is about San Francisco values. The Bill O'Reillys of the world are threatened by San Francisco because we value diversity, universal health care and civil rights for all. They will exploit any controversy to attack our values."
More on the Sisters here.
Posted 10:17 AM EST by Andy Towle in Bill O'Reilly, Catholic Church, Gavin Newsom, News, Religion, San Francisco | Permalink
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Expansion for Adam, credentials unknown:
"The general sacramental principle is that you don't deny the sacrament to someone who requests it," said the Rev. Jim Bretzke, professor of moral theology at University of San Francisco, a Jesuit Catholic university. "The second principle is that you cannot give communion to someone who has been excommunicated."
He said such people are designated "manifest public sinners" in canon law.
"This is someone who violates in a serious way one of the Ten Commandments or one of the important laws of the Church," he said. "While I can see Bill O'Reilly and others might be offended, the sisters do not meet the criteria the church has for denying Communion. Over-accessorizing and poor taste in makeup is not an excommunicable offense."
Bretzke added, "Even if these people were bizarrely dressed, the archbishop was following clear pastoral and canonical principles in giving them Communion. The default is, you give Holy Communion to one who presents himself." -SF Chronicle, 10/17/07
PS: Even the Chron's token Repug columnist, Debra Saunders, who as often as not is a card carrying cunt, disagreed with O'Reilly on his show—and got shouted down by him for it—and in her column. BUT do NOT subscribe to the juvenile "just ignore him and he will go away" school of non-thought. O'Reilly is watched by millions of VOTERS who swallow his lies as eagerly as Ted Haggard swallowed Mike Jones' cum.
Posted by: Leland Frances | Oct 17, 2007 3:08:46 PM
When an average Joe looks at these "sisters" does he see charity? No, he sees grotesque looking "drag queens". Why are so many people supporting this mess when all they do is make the lot of us look bad? Charity, yes! But by dressing up as some ridiculous character off "Sesame Street live from Hades," you kind of defeat the purpose and actually regress gay rights.
I know that many will throw stones at me and call me boring but c'mon peeps, do you really want these people representing you?
Posted by: Mike | Oct 17, 2007 6:15:41 PM
Great, Leland, so you loathe anyone who exploits the gay community to raise attention or money. So I guess that means you hate all AIDS fundraisers, SF street festivals, and Pride events? (Well actually I'm tired of Pride events, but...) You hate anyone---in drag or not---who brings attention to gay-related issues and tries to deliver charity? By extension, do you hate efforts that try to alleviate global poverty because it's "cheap" to use pictures of starving Africans, and believe that simple facts will convince the ignorant hordes of the need for change and caring?
My point: the only way to get people's money is to get their attention. Approaches vary.
Your insults of Debra Saunders are equally absurd. Yes she's conservative---but she also provides rational, intelligent explanations for her opinions. I often don't agree with them, but at least she's concise. As for the millions of voters following O'Reilly, they're already immune to voting differently---not to mention, I don't see what elections are in peril from two SF queens receiving communion.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 17, 2007 6:19:52 PM
Mike, pay less attention to the package and listen to the voice. However people want to look is their choice, and the outlandish ones certainly understand the repercussions of doing so. In high school and college in the 1980s I had varying colors of hair (blue, cranberry...), but also had a 4.0 GPA. Even still, a few years ago I also used to think the Sisters were a tad extreme---until I spoke with one of them. They are caring, intelligent people (many of whom have experienced a lot of pain) who want to make other people's lives less painful. Period. Anyone intelligent learns young that people come in many forms, and that it's no big deal. These guys did nothing disrespectful---makeup and feathers aren't weapons.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 17, 2007 6:54:20 PM
As your college GPA, Paul, apparently did nothing for your ability to "read with comprehension," let me spell it out for you. Hold out your hand, Helen.
I loathe anyone who exploits the gay community [or other issues] for attention and/or money FOR THEMSELVES primarily rather than the cause. And, having observed the Sisters up close from the first time they set high heel in the Castro, I quickly concluded that was their primary motivation. They've even gotten the SF Chronicle to accept a priori their claim that they've raised a million dollars for charity. Maybe they have. Hooray, but at what sociopolitical cost to the very people the dollars help? And the logical fallacy is that they needed to do the drag to raise a single dollar. Quick, notify the Red Cross and every other organization that raises money that freak shows would have their coffers overflowing.
If makeup and feathers weren't "weapons," these ATTENTION deficit disorder queens would try something else. Are you too young to have noticed the escalation, as it were, of drag of such people as Lady Bunny. If her wings getting any bigger she'll have to apply for license plates. They, like screaming louder, have one basic purpose—again, to get attention. I have no problem with that per se but when they go public and let people think that they represent all gays, then, as a gay man, I have a right to challenge that. Just as you would not want ME saying I speak for you.
As for your own personal encounter with them, that's nice but it does nothing to enlighten the thousands of insulted Catholics and homophobes generally. Nevertheless, I REPEAT, I have no particular problem with what they did at that Mass. WE were just unlucky that a camera was present, though, I bet you a thousand bucks Les Soeurs were thrilled.
Posted by: Leland Frances | Oct 17, 2007 7:57:04 PM
Correction: If Lady Bunny's wigs get any bigger she'll have to apply for license plates.
Posted by: Leland Frances | Oct 17, 2007 7:59:20 PM
Paul, unfortunately makeup and feathers are weapons used against us in fundraising for the religious wrong and conservatives. They are also used against us in efforts to turn out conservative voters.
I don't have anything against the sisters at all. I am sure that most mean well and are good people. But if most gay guys went around dressing like them, we would have no poltical power or respect. They have a place in gay culture but to turn millions of Catholics against us is not a wise choice.
Posted by: Mike | Oct 17, 2007 10:11:33 PM
The Sisters are the absolute definition of charity. These "ladies" tirelessley give of themselves for the betterment of the gay community. The way they cake themselves in greasepaint and gawdy gowns is an inspiration to those sitting on the sidelines thinking "what can I do to make this a better world?"
Anyone who dares question their gay-perfection and commitment to making a spectacle of themselves is a self-loathing, right-wing, hate-monster. Praise the sisters!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Flamer sans Brains | Oct 18, 2007 2:33:03 AM
Jesus would have invited them to the table and have them share in the "agape". The priest doth protest too much since he knew who they were. He gave them communion willingly and knowingly. Bill O'Reilly is an asshole. I watched that show and his "rant" was a marvel to behold: phony, contrived, and ragingly insincere. The sad thing is, O'Reilly will probably get even more ratings over this.
Posted by: mike | Oct 18, 2007 5:19:38 AM
There will always be freaks in the gay community. There will always be someone to take pictures of them. And some people will always hate us, no matter what we're wearing.
I just can't imagine that anyone with a modicum of intelligence and the slightest exposure to modern media would ever think that all gay men dress like the Sisters or that they somehow represent all of us. People, even conservatives, generally understand that there's a diversity of views and appearances in any social, ethnic, religious, or other group or organization.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 18, 2007 3:05:53 PM
apparently, the archbishop doesn't know the rules of his own church. the only reason to deny someone communion is if they are in a state of unforgiven 'mortal sin'. assuming that the sisters have not murdered anybody lately, there's nothing for which to apologize. the sisters are catholics who presented themselves to receive communion.
there's no dress code.. nor was there any protest or provocation in their doing so.
they thanked the archbishop for a beautiful service and thanked him for being inclusive.
and i would wager that they have done more good works of charity that anyone else in that congregation. one of the worst things about these religious folk is that they don't even know anything about their own religion !
Posted by: el polacko | Oct 18, 2007 4:29:10 PM
Leland getting upset over someone trying to get attention. I haven't laughed so much since Nancy Reagan told me not to take drugs.
The Sisters are a great part of the gay community in San Francisco and have been for a very long time. They put on the first AIDS fundraiser and have continued to work since then. They don't need to defend themselves to the likes of Leland--they are active in the community, they don't just sit at home and type on websites.
Posted by: Daniel | Oct 18, 2007 4:43:49 PM
.. as for the sisters' make-up and dress which seem to send eveyone, str8 and gay, into a tizzy : this kind of gentle jostling of the conventions of the church go back to the middle ages. the church heirarchy took the ribbing good-naturedly, knowing that it served to humanize them and make the church more accessible to the common folk. all this modern 'outrage' is manufactured and ahistorical.
Posted by: el polacko | Oct 18, 2007 4:47:43 PM
It's time we as a community focus on something meaningful, like Brittney custody battle, Lindsey's rehab, or Ellens stolen puppy....
Posted by: Tex | Oct 21, 2007 1:59:05 PM