NEWS NOTES: October 30, 2013

News NotesHere are some items that you might find of interest:

1)  The Tablet reported that Australian former priest Greg Reynolds, whose support for same-sex marriage was reported to have been part of the reason that the Vatican laicised and and excommunicated him, has revealed that the main reason for these actions was because of an incident where a piece of host was given to a dog as part of a liturgical service at the “Inclusive Catholics” community that Reynolds established after he resigned the priesthood in May 2011.

2) The ministry and mission of Dignity/San Antonio was profiled on MySanAntonio.com.   Members from this Texas chapter of DignityUSA, a national organization for LGBT Catholics, are reported as being cautiously hopeful about Pope Francis’ recent positive comments about lesbian and gay people.  “Personally, I felt encouraged by it. I think we’re all hopeful because it’s a significant change in tone,” said Chris, a gay man and Dignity leader. “But we’re also not naïve to think it represented substantive change.”

3)  A priest in Worcester, Massachusetts, who this past summer cut parish ties to the Worcester Art Museum because they started renting their facility for same-sex wedding ceremonies, has  admitted to embezzling almost a quarter of a million dollars from his parish and school, reported Justice For All.

4)  The Catholic hierarchy and conservative politicians in Peru, a heavily Catholic nation, are opposing a recently introduced national bill to establish civil unions for lesbian and gay couples, reported HispanicallySpeakingNews.com.  The bill will be debated by the nation’s congress in March of next year.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

2 replies
  1. Friends
    Friends says:

    In simple fairness, I don’t think that Jesus Himself — who loved all of His Creation — would have a serious problem with a dog being given Eucharistic Communion, as long as this was done with an intention of absolute love and blessing. I recently heard a news report indicating that a brain scan on dogs shows they have cognitive and emotional intelligence so close to that of humans, that it raises serious ethical issues about the “ownership” of dogs by human beings. Just saying: these are some things to think about — and I believe St. Francis would share the call for deeper reflection on the subject.

    Reply
  2. Rosa G. Manriquez, IHM
    Rosa G. Manriquez, IHM says:

    What was the intent of the dog receiving Eucharistic Communion? Was it a judgment on the significance of Eucharist, like it was only fit for dogs? Or was it a statement on the communion of all Creation? Or did it allude to the Syro-Phoenician woman “Even the dogs eat the crumbs?” Bottom line: was his excommunication a reaction or is there more to the action that is not publicized?

    BTW I’m a major dog lover. What I have learned from Homer (black Lab/ German shepherd) about unconditional love is light years from what I ever learned during my Catholic education.

    Reply

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