The AP reports that a Rev. Michael Scucazek in St. Paul, Minnesota, denied communion to 100 of his parishoners today. What was their transgression?
Supporting gay Catholics.
More below the fold.
According to
the AP story today, the
Rainbow Sash Alliance organized an action that consisted of over 100 congregants wearing small strips of rainbow cloth on their left shoulders. According to RSA, the purpose of the rainbow sash is the following:
Carrying this symbol, we publicly claim our place at Christ's table, sacramentally expressing the truth of our lives, and calling the Church to embrace a new day of integrity and freedom.
Although RSA has done this every Pentecost Sunday since 2001, the AP reports, this is the first time anyone has been denied communion for wearing the sash. Archbishop Harry Flynn had told the group that they would be denied communion because the sash had "become a protest against Church teaching."
I'm not Catholic -- in fact, I'm Jewish -- and even I don't know where to start in commenting on something like this. Maybe the best thing to do is to consider these 2 statements by parishoners in the AP story:
Ann McComas-Bussa did not wear a sash, but she and her husband and three children all wore rainbow-colored ribbons and were denied communion. "As a Catholic, I just need to stand in solidarity with those that are being oppressed," she said.
[snip]
Parishioner Larry Pavlicek was not sympathetic. As a divorced man, he said he has to live with the church's teaching that he cannot remarry and cannot have sex outside of marriage.
"If you're going to be a Catholic, either live with it or call yourself something different," he said. "They're trying to change something that has been taught by the church for 2,000 years."
Ah yes, the Holy Spirit moving someone on Pentecost Sunday to say, "The Church won't let me get married or have sex -- why the hell should you be able to receive communion?" On the other hand, I'm impressed that over 100 people went through with the protest knowing they'd be denied communion. And it strikes me that the more the Church relies on the "no soup for you!" reaction to dissent, the less impact it will have on ordinary American Catholics, especially in their voting habits.