Catholics Rally Against Bishop Who Warned Pride Celebrations Harm Children
Protestors gathered outside Providence’s cathedral
Catholics in Rhode Island rallied this weekend against their bishop who claimed that children would be harmed if they attended Pride celebrations. The bishop apologized but that hasn’t ended the controversy.
Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence sent his LGBTQ-negative tweet on June 1st as millions worldwide began celebrating Pride month. The bishop (who should not be confused with the largely LGBTQ-positive Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark) warned his followers:
“A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ ‘Pride Month’ events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.”
Catholics and LGBTQ advocates immediately pushed back against Tobin’s tweet. Led by Rhode Island Pride, hundreds protested outside the Diocese of Providence’s Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Sunday evening. The group’s president, Joe Lazzerini, had released a statement calling on Tobin to “do some self-reflection as the majority of Catholic Rhode Islanders in this state reject the idea that to be Catholic is to be complicit to intolerance, bigotry, and fear.” Also in attendance was Providence’s mayor, Jorge Elorza, who told protestors, “love will conquer all animosity and all hatred,” reported the Providence Journal.
Also critical of the bishop was a Providence priest, Fr. Edward Pieroni of the St. Raymond’s Church, who begged at Mass for lesbian and gay parishioners not to leave the Church:
“‘My concern is that for people who are lesbian or gay — same-sex attraction — that they may leave the church. A lot of people have hung in there, but it’s like “One more slap and we are done.” I am here to beg you — and I will get on my hands and knees and beg you — not to leave. . .For a long time the official church has had a tug of war going on between liberal and conservatives.
“‘Maybe we ought to concentrate more on getting the message out there and less on backbiting. The ultimate goal is Jesus pulling us all together. . .If you are thinking of leaving because you are disappointed or don’t understand please don’t I am begging you.'”
Several notable figures replied to Tobin on Twitter. Justin McAleese, the gay son of former Irish president Mary McAleese, tweeted:
“A reminder that the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is not in any position to pontificate on what is or isn’t ‘especially harmful for children’. Pale, stale, male….give us all a break. Celebrate #LGBTQ with #PRIDE.”
Tiernan Brady, who led Ireland’s marriage equality campaign in 2015, added his comments on Twitter:
“A reminder to bishops if you let voices of inhumanity like this gent represent you at any time of the year you will have lost all moral compass and understanding of Christianity. You will also be ignoring the will of your own flock. Happy #Pride to all – know you are not alone.”
On the same day that LGBTQ advocates rallied, Tobin released a partial apology, writing in a statement:
“I regret that my comments yesterday about Pride Month have turned out to be so controversial in our community, and offensive to some, especially the gay community. That certainly was not my intention, but I understand why a good number of individuals have taken offense. I also acknowledge and appreciate the widespread support I have received on this matter.”
But the bishop continued saying it was his “obligation” as a Church leader to “teach the faith, clearly and compassionately.” He wished the protest would be “a safe, positive and productive experience for all.” Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, came to Tobin’s defense, offering his own tweet that suggested stating Church teaching “is not homophobia, it is simply reality.”
Bishop Tobin’s anti-LGBTQ record is lengthy, including his perpetuation of the myth that homosexuality somehow contributed to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Just this February, he tweeted that “gay currents in the church” were responsible for abuse. He also tweeted last June that Pride was “morally offensive” and directly criticized Fr. James Martin’s book on LGBTQ issues in the Church. Tobin has said a Nativity scene with two Josephs rather than Mary and Joseph was “sacrilege, has cited Pope Francis to defend the firing of a gay church worker, and has suggested clerks like Kim Davis who oppose marriage equality should commit civil disobedience by denying marriage licenses to same-gender couples. He called the Vatican’s 2014 Synod on the Family a “rather Protestant” event. Tobin also left open the possibility that LGBTQ Catholics should be denied Communion.
It is worth noting that critics of Tobin specifically zeroed in on his comment that Pride celebrations are “especially harmful for children,” a point many people said was quite hypocritical given not only the Catholic Church’s, but the bishop’s own failed record in protecting children from clergy sexual abuse. Last year, Tobin acknowledged to the Providence Journal that while an auxiliary bishop in Pittsburgh, he knew of sexual abuse complaints made to the diocese but took no action because he was “not primarily responsible for clergy issues.”
Tobin’s tweets could be easily dismissed as ignorant were they not so deeply harmful to many people. The bishop continues to fail to show respect and compassion towards LGBTQ people and their loved ones. To perpetuate homophobic myths about child endangerment only compounds that wrong. Last year, Tobin announced he was leaving Twitter because it had become an “occasion of sin.” If he obstinately refuses to listen to LGBTQ people’s stories and learn from them, he should at least listen to his own words and leave Twitter because of the pastoral catastrophes he creates on that platform.
—Robert Shine, New Ways Ministry, June 4, 2019
“Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, came to Tobin’s defense, offering his own tweet that suggested stating Church teaching ‘is not homophobia, it is simply reality.’”
Quite the contrary. The hierarchy’s teaching is homophobic. It is based on belief in certain doctrines and on prejudice. Not on reality or real people.
“Contrary to Catholic faith and morals” says Tobin. Has any one told priests and bishops about this? He also states that Pride and what it stands for is: “especially harmful for children.” Where is the proof of this? What has been proven harmful for children are the thousands of sexually abusive priests and bishops as well as bishops who have covered up the abuse or, like the homophobic Tobin, chose to remain silent when rumors of abuse surfaced. Collectively, you guys are “especially harmful to children.”
The Central Maine Pride events I attended last week were advertised as “family friendly,” and there were plenty of kids.
I don’t know if you were aware that when the local children’s bookstore announced it would be having a Drag Queen Story Hour, a protest was called for. The store asked for support, and they got it! They were expecting 20-30 kids, but the store was packed to the gills, and outside on the sidewalk, a large crowd was peacefully protecting the store and facing the 12-15 people who had come to protest. Someone estimated it was something like 300:15.
https://www.centralmaine.com/2019/06/01/protesters-face-off-over-drag-queen-reading-in-waterville/
It would appear that Bishop Tobin’s regret is that there was controversy. That’s all. As for the parish priest begging people not to leave….. noble but maybe already too late.
We must all remember that until the Ratzinger/BXVI letter on the care of homosexuals is withdrawn, its mean-spirited words of disgust for homosexuals is the Catholic rule for homosexuals. There are some who do a wink and a nod about it, but until it is removed it remains. Many hope BXVI goes to his eternal reward so his words can be cut, but he was a Pope and not God. The statement needs to be disavowed now. Justice denied is not an honorable place for the Church to inhabit.
This is the ongoing frustration of being Catholic. Historically, there has been little change brought about by the millions of Catholics around the globe. Vatican II seemed to bring growth however, there is has been an ongoing effort to retract some of the best of Vatican II. The same seems to be happening in the US. Women are losing control of their bodies again, anti Jewish attacks have increased, people of color are assumed guilty and get little coverage when attacked, and of course the LGBTQ community rights are being chipped away at in the military, on the street, etc.
The patriarchy of the Catholic church doesn’t evolve.
If one is really motivated to teach the faith, I’d like to suggest that the more important beliefs of the Catholic Church relevant to this discussion of Pride are the belief in the value and dignity of every human being created in the image and likeness of God and the belief in the inclusion of all people in God’s love and grace. When the LGBTQ community and its allies come together to celebrate Pride events, these two beliefs are made visible and real for individuals who routinely endure hatred and discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. For many LGBTQ individuals, these events and the community that supports them can literally be life-saving. And teaching children about inclusion, not exclusion, is entirely consistent with the Gospel that Jesus commissioned the Church to proclaim.