No Mass at Gay Convention

Dear Editor: We must be clear on just what the Church (in Minneapolis-St. Paul) is separating itself from at the symposium on homosexuality. The homosexual acts are sinful and the Catholic Church cannot associate itself with promoting such acts.  

People with homosexual tendencies are our brothers and sisters in Christ and deserve our love, prayers, and support on their life’s journey.

If this were a meeting to inform and support people who are working to live a chaste life despite their leanings the Church should be supporting them and could make the Eucharistic sacrament part of their meeting. 

If there were a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Catholics discussing how to deal with their addiction, Mass would certainly be appropriate. But if a group of active alcoholics met and included the joys of binge drinking in their agenda it would then be supporting the act. Connecting it to the Church would not be acceptable in this case.

The same is true with homosexuality.

The fact that a “Catholic gay activist” is presenting and that sponsoring group says it’s a “gay-positive ministry of advocacy” suggests that supporting gay activities is on the agenda.

Church doctrine is clear and so must be our loving separation of supporting the sinner but not supporting the sin.

Jane Donlon
Middle Village

 
Dear Editor: Archbishop Harry J. Flynn was right to forbid the celebration of Eucharist at the New Ways Ministry symposium in his diocese, lest such a celebration be conceived by Catholics as an approval of dissent from the magisterium of the Catholic Church. 

DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry is being disingenuous when he says that Catholics “are very clear about what is presented as official Church teaching, what is presented as theological reflection and what is the opinion of Catholics in the pews.” These three realities exist, but they are not on the same level. This is especially so if the reflection is in dissent from authentic Catholic teaching, for which New Ways Ministry is notorious. 

There are times when the cafeteria needs to be closed. The People of God need to be fed with the bread that comes down from heaven and not with the venom of an alien diet.

There is no doubt that homosexuals need to be ministered with compassion. However, so should we minister to heterosexuals. We all struggle with our sexual appetites and sometimes quite frequently without success. Since there should be no sexual activity outside marriage and only in a marriage between a man and a woman, the difficulties for all of us to be chaste are obvious. 

Orthodox moral teaching combined with deep pastoral sensitivity is the key to healing.  The way to justice and mercy, to the law and compassion is a narrow road through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass.

Nevertheless in no way should we compromise Catholic moral teaching.  Can New Ways subscribe to this stance?  Its prior history of dissent causes me to be doubtful.  Vice, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is a hideous poison; it begins with pride as the soft hissing whisper of a serpent in the gardens of our fantasy. 

As Alexander Pope said:

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,    
As to be hated needs to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Deacon John P. Coffey
Brooklyn

Silence Not Always Golden

Dear Editor: Hugh A. Mulligan’s column, “Cross Removed to Make People ‘Comfortable’ ” (March 17) is really an indication of what is happening in our world today. It definitely rings of prejudice towards Christians. No other religion will tolerate the rot that Christians, especially Catholics, do. Why should they? No one enjoys slander. How often are we supposed to “turn the other cheek?” When an employee at the bank, supermarket, or department store has the nerve to tell me they are not “allowed” to say “Merry Christmas,” I feel offended.

I also remember the incident several years ago at a public institution (the Brooklyn Museum, partially supported by our taxes) when a disgusting “portrait” of the Virgin Mary, made from dung, was allowed to hang in its halls.

What about the Italians? Why not write our history? You can take your pick – arts, music, literature, inventions, technology. Yet, some still group us together as mafia.

It is high time that we Catholics speak up! Silence is not always golden.

Martha Caselli
Bayside

Wrong Source for Irish Info

Dear Editor: Concerning the book review (March 17) “Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion.”

Charles Townsend’s book on the 1916 uprising in Ireland is equivalent to Russian President Putin writing on Solidarity in Poland.

Did I ever mention how the confiscation and sale of church property in Britain funded the British Navy? That is a great topic for a book, or two.

For Mr. Townsend, writing on the American Revolution, would probably write something like this: “Totally illegal, old boy, totally illegal.” But as with the Irish Rebellion, what precipitated them both is not relevant to some people.

Thomas C. Cullinane
Bayside

Thanks to Midwood Academy

Dear Editor: Please allow me to commend Principal Elena Heimbach, the entire faculty and students of Midwood Catholic Academy in Brooklyn for the kindness they extended to the patients in New York Community Hospital on Kings Hgwy. and East 26th St.

The students, under the direction of their splendid faculty, prepared a personal greeting card for all of our patients. It was distributed during the holiday season. These simple expressions of joy and caring brought a tear to many eyes, knowing that children in the community could be so caring to a stranger. This is truly a community service and this “random act of kindness” brought encouragement to many patients at a difficult time.

On behalf of the patients, our staff and our administration, we take our hats off the Midwood Academy.

Eileen McBride
Director of Patient Relations
New York Community Hospital
Brooklyn

Lopsided Pro-Choice Media

Dear Editor: In January, on the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade, thousands of pro-life groups marched in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate against this bloody decision.

The medical lobby and organizations such as Planned Parenthood, NOW, and others are so strong in our country that the media fear to cover the pro-life movement.

Yet, some groups who gather to protest against animal cruelty, the war, global warming or immigration rights are given wide coverage. There have been 48,000,000 abortions in the United States since this horrific ruling was enacted. How can we claim to be “One Nation Under God”?

Patricia Anne Devereaux
Howard Beach

The Great St. Joseph

Dear Editor: It was so nice to read the wonderful editorial tribute to our patron, St. Joseph. Thank you too for noting the dedicated work of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In keeping with our charism, this service “for the love of God and our neighbor” has been in action in our diocese for the past 150 years.

I thank you in the name of all the wonderful women who have gone before us, as well as those who continue to be channels of God’s grace in our present time.

Sister Elizabeth Kelly, CSJ
Parkville 

Sister-Doctor Says Thank

Dear Editor: “And then the flood gates opened...” is the phrase that aptly describes the response to Linda Busetti’s article (Jan. 20) on the Pineville Clinic and the papal medal which I received. Here at the Children’s Clinic, I’ve received quite a few responses, especially from my home parish, St. Joseph’s, Astoria.

I have been really touched by old friends and neighbors who wrote and who also sent generous donations to help us with our ministry here in West Virginia. I was so pleased to see that the values of faith, compassion, and generosity that I learned as a child in that parish are still so evident in the parishioners there today. In fact, the parish administration and the pastor, Father John Harrington, are very interested in helping us in the future. They have asked us to send a wish list with things we need here at the clinic.

I am sincerely grateful to The Tablet for the article that enabled me to connect with my roots.

Sister Eileen Catterson, DW, MD
Pineville, West Virginiash