A reader in Minneapolis sent me a link to a story out of Wisconsin yesterday. In response, all I can say is that the hypocrisy of the Roman Catholic Church seems to know no limits. While bishops and cardinals who shuffled around known predators to unsuspecting parishes and/or who covered up their misdeeds go unpunished, the falsely pious Bishop Robert Morlino (pictured at left) supported the dismissal of Charles Philyaw as full-time director of music liturgy at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Verona. Philyaw's sin? Being gay and not hiding it like countless phony closeted members of the Catholic Church clergy. As a member of my Lutheran parish pointed out on Sunday after the parish discussion group on the draft ELCA social statement on human sexuality, the Catholic Church's hypocrisy is even greater when one considers that so much of the priceless art owned/hoarded by the Church - and commissioned by numerous popes - was created by gays. *
One of the best things I have done in my life is to leave the Roman Catholic Church, a faith that until it rids itself of the corrupt and morally bankruptcy hierarchy is anything but truly Christian. I truly hope more people will "vote with their feet" because only a loss of members (translation: money) will cause needed change to occur. As for gay Catholics, my advice is to investigate other denominations and leave a Church that basically preaches that gays are garbage. Here are some story highlights from Twin Cities.com:
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After decades of honing his musical skills, Charles Philyaw landed his dream job in 2004 as the full-time director of music liturgy at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Verona. The church, with 1,643 adult members, was more than just a place to work for Philyaw. He and his partner, James Mulder-Philyaw, joined the parish and participated fully in the religious community. Then in June, it all collapsed. Philyaw said he was told by the parish priest, the Rev. Dave Timmerman, that he would no longer be retained because he was living an openly gay life. He was given two weeks' notice.
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Philyaw later learned that five parishioners had raised concerns about him and his partner being so prominently involved in church activities. Bishop Robert Morlino's office became involved, leading to his dismissal, Philyaw said. His firing has divided parishioners, pitting friends against friends and spawning a sharp debate over Christ's teachings. More than 100 church members signed a petition — sent to Morlino — praising Philyaw and bemoaning his dismissal.
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[T]he diocese made available the Rev. Monsignor James Bartylla, director of vocations, who is helping to coordinate locally a program called Courage, a national Catholic initiative that counsels people with same-sex attraction. While same-sex attraction is considered a disorder by the Catholic Church, it is not a sin in and of itself, Bartylla said. "It is acting on the attraction that makes it a sinful act, a grave depravity," he said. People with same-sex attraction must control their desires and live chaste lives, he said. If they do so, they can participate fully in church life, including in leadership positions, he said.
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Philyaw, who earned $41,000 a year, now works a part-time temp job with no benefits. He and his partner face the likelihood of foreclosure on their house within two months, he said. "It's been devastating," he said. "These five people didn't think through how they were going to be impacting our lives." Regardless of their motives, "their actions did not positively contribute to spreading the word of the Gospels or the love that Jesus taught us," he said.
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Life has not been pleasant for the five who pressed the issue, either. Kilkenny said she's received hate mail and has been called a "Judas" and "a vigilante." Heyde said people he thought were friends no longer speak to him.
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Choir member Beth Homb said Philyaw's firing and some tenets of the Catholic faith have caused her to step back from regular attendance at St. Andrew. "It's hard to be there, but it's hard not to be there," she said. Philyaw said he believes he was born gay and that God led him to the Catholic Church. "We ended up opening the eyes of many people in the church." His firing has not shaken his faith in God, he said. He and his partner now worship with a United Church of Christ congregation.
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