I addressed this issue a while back but it is worth revisiting in light of the huge effort the Roman Catholic Church has made in Maine to rescind the state legislative's recognition of same sex marriages under Maine's CIVIL marriage laws. The issue? That Catholic parishes are being closed and magnificent old church properties put up for sale and perhaps lost to decay and demolition because the Catholic Church says it cannot afford to keep the parishes open - even as the Church has contributed well over $500,000 to the anti-marriage forces lead by the slimy National Organization for Marriage which seems to have the twin goals of depriving LGBT citizens of civil legal rights and greatly enriching some of its "leaders" such as Maggie Gallagher - a professional Christian who is married to a Hindu - and her minions. The hypocrisy of the Church's conduct is disgusting, but sadly in keeping with the Church's current ass backwards priorities. The Lewiston Sun Journal reports in part as follows concerning St. Joseph's Catholic Church, the city's oldest (pictured above) which closed two weeks ago:*
The Lewiston, Maine Sun Journal looks at two of the parishes being closed, the first is St. Joseph's Catholic Church, the city's oldest Catholic church (pictured above) and the other is the 109 year old St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Here are some highlights on the first parish:
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The city's oldest Catholic church — St. Joseph's Church — will close its doors Tuesday. Bishop Richard Malone will officiate over the final Mass, ending 152 years of history in the grand, brick building at 253 Main St. . . . The cornerstone of the building was laid June 13, 1864, according to a parish history published in 2007. The church, designed by architect Patrick Keely of New York, opened three years later.
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Today, the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is known for its columned nave and the stained glass in almost every window, much of it hand-painted with extraordinary detail. Murals were painted in the 1920s by Monmouth artist Harry Cochran, according to the church's history.
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Bishop Malone is expected to approve the sale of both churches by the end of the year.
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As for St. Patrick's, the Sun Journal reports in part as follows:
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"My kids make five generations here," Burpee said of the church where he and his father both served as altar boys. There won't be a sixth. On Tuesday night, the final mass will be celebrated at the church overlooking Kennedy Park. Bishop Richard Malone plans to officiate. Monsignor Charles Murphy, a former parish priest, will give the homily.
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Sadly, the Roman Catholic Church continues to be run like a cross between a monarchy with lesser feudal lords and a dictatorship in which the needs and wishes of the rank and file parishioners means nothing to the corrupt and morally bankrupt Church hierarchy. Given the Church's over the top efforts in the Maine marriage vote, I truly believe that the IRS should look into revoking the Diocese of Portland's tax-exempt status. That would hit the hierarchy where it hurts the most - money, power and control are the real goals, not preaching the gospels of Christ or truly giving a damn about average Catholics.
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And meanwhile? Bishop Malone continues to fleece Catholics for money and seek to marginalize and condemn LGBT couples to a permanently inferior status under the civil laws. Here's the Bishop in his sleazy anti-gay screed where he seeks to infuse the civil laws with a particular religious belief system:
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