Illinois Catholic bishop decrees no Holy Communion, funerals for same-sex couples
By Susan Hogan June 23
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Ill., is calling on priests there to deny Holy Communion and even funeral rites to people in same-sex unions unless they show “some signs of repentance” for their relationships before death.
The decree by Bishop Thomas Paprocki also said that people “living publicly” in same-sex marriages may not receive the sacrament of confirmation or be admitted to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a process by which many converts become Catholic, preparing them for baptism and confirmation.
At the same time, Paprocki said that children living with a Catholic parent or parents in a same-sex marriage may be baptized. But when it comes to same-sex unions, priests cannot bless couples, church property cannot be used for ceremonies and diocesan employees are forbidden from participating, the decree said.
The bishop’s decree has not yet been made public by the diocese, but was sent to clergy and diocesan staff in an email last week. That email, in turn, was shared with other clergy around the country, as well as Catholic LGBT organizations, which posted the document and condemned it as unduly harsh, particularly in light of Pope Francis’s more compassionate posture.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/23/bishop-bans-catholic-funerals-for-same-sex-couples-unless-they-repent-before-death/?hpid=hp_hp-morning-mix_mm-bishop%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.67c46059fa79
This really only makes sense. The Catholics cannot support gay relations unless it's priests raping little boys.
By Susan Hogan June 23
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Ill., is calling on priests there to deny Holy Communion and even funeral rites to people in same-sex unions unless they show “some signs of repentance” for their relationships before death.
The decree by Bishop Thomas Paprocki also said that people “living publicly” in same-sex marriages may not receive the sacrament of confirmation or be admitted to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a process by which many converts become Catholic, preparing them for baptism and confirmation.
At the same time, Paprocki said that children living with a Catholic parent or parents in a same-sex marriage may be baptized. But when it comes to same-sex unions, priests cannot bless couples, church property cannot be used for ceremonies and diocesan employees are forbidden from participating, the decree said.
The bishop’s decree has not yet been made public by the diocese, but was sent to clergy and diocesan staff in an email last week. That email, in turn, was shared with other clergy around the country, as well as Catholic LGBT organizations, which posted the document and condemned it as unduly harsh, particularly in light of Pope Francis’s more compassionate posture.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/23/bishop-bans-catholic-funerals-for-same-sex-couples-unless-they-repent-before-death/?hpid=hp_hp-morning-mix_mm-bishop%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.67c46059fa79
This really only makes sense. The Catholics cannot support gay relations unless it's priests raping little boys.
