San Francisco Saint Mary’s Cathedral Drenches Homeless With Water

Archbishop Cordileone - a total asshole

In yet another example of the "Christian love" that is now the norm with "conservative Christians" and the Catholic Church hierarchy in particular, news comes out of San Francisco that Saint Mary's Cathedral, seat of homophobic Archbishop Cordileone, has had a water system installed to drench homeless individuals seeking shelter in alcoves for doors to the cathedral.  The water system intermittently soaks the doorway areas to drive the homeless away.  KPIC TV5 has details.  Here are excerpts:

KCBS has learned that Saint Mary’s Cathedral, the principal church of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, has installed a watering system to keep the homeless from sleeping in the cathedral’s doorways.

The cathedral, at Geary and Gough, is the home church of the Archbishop. There are four tall side doors, with sheltered alcoves, that attract homeless people at night.

“They actually have signs in there that say, ‘No Trespassing,’” said a homeless man named Robert.
But there are no signs warning the homeless about what happens in these doorways, at various times, all through the night. Water pours from a hole in the ceiling, about 30 feet above, drenching the alcove and anyone in it.

The shower ran for about 75 seconds, every 30 to 60 minutes while we were there, starting before sunset, simultaneously in all four doorways. KCBS witnessed it soak homeless people, and their belongings.
A neighbor who witnessed the drenching told KCBS, “I was just shocked, one because it’s inhumane to treat people that way. The second thing is that we are in this terrible drought.

A cathedral staff member confirmed to KCBS the system was installed, perhaps a year ago, to deter the homeless from sleeping there.

Then, suggests this church neighbor, turn it off. “I would hope that they would stop doing this, both for environmental reasons and for common decency.”

KCBS has also learned from a review of city permit records that the system was installed illegally, and may violate water use regulations.

Yet again, the "godly folk" show hatred for others and a sense that they are above the laws that apply to others.  Is it any wonder that the ranks of the "Nones"  are soaring.  What moral, decent person wants to be a Christian if this is what Christians do to others. 

San Francisco Archbishop: Church Employees Must Not Masturbate

If the caption of this post sounds insane, welcome to the insane and neurotic world of the Catholic Church hierarchy that remains obsessed with all things sexual no matter the reported statements of Pope Francis.  Among the most insane sitting archbishops is San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone - yes, the one of DUI fame and purported "father of Proposition 8" - who has issued a pronouncement binding on employees of Catholic institutions and schools within his archdiocese that bans among other things pornography and masturbation.  How exactly Cardileone would enforce this mandate is left to speculation.  The San Francisco Chronicle has details.  Here are highlights:

The conservative Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco has developed a new document for Catholic high school faculty and staff clarifying that sex outside of marriage, homosexual relations, the viewing of pornography and masturbation are “gravely evil.” 

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s document applies to faculty and staff at four Catholic high schools: Riordan and Sacred Heart in San Francisco, Marin Catholic in Kentfield and Serra High School in San Mateo. It states that administrators, faculty and staff “affirm and believe” the controversial statements, which will be part of the faculty handbook.

The document goes on to say that marriage is between “one man and one woman,” despite California law allowing same-sex marriages. It also notes that sperm donation, the use of a surrogate and other forms of “artificial reproductive technology” are also gravely evil.

The document notes that while not all staff at the schools are Catholic, they are “required to stand as effective and visible professional participants and proponents of truly Catholic education.” Those who are not Catholic “must refrain” from participating in organizations that “advocate issues or causes contrary to the teachings of the church.”

Anyone as obsessed with all things sexual as is the case with Cordileone must have severe psycho-sexual issues of their own.  Especially since research has shown that the most vociferous homophobes are the ones most "turned on" by gay porn.   Part of me cannot help but wonder how soon until Cordileone is under investigation for sexual abuse like Archbishop John Nienstetd.

   

Nancy Pelosi Urges Anti-Gay Archbishop to Boycott NOM's Hate March

The National Organization for Marriage has suffered one defeat after another as one federal court after another has struck don state bans on same sex marriage. Desperate to remain politically relevant - and more importantly to continue to fleece the ignorant and gullible - NOM has organized a so called "March for Marriage" in Washington, DC.   Among the scheduled speakers is San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone who some call the father of Proposition 8.  Cordileone has a history of vicious anti-gay activities and, candidly, his actions ought to be enough to have the IRS reevaluating the tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization give the archdiocese's political activities which violate the ban on non-profits attempting to influence legislation.  Now, Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful Catholic politicians is urging Cordileone to stay clear of NOM's coven of hate merchants.  Here are highlights from the San Francisco Chronicle:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took the lead this week in a high-profile lobbying effort to pressure San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone not to attend the controversial March for Marriage event, which she characterized as "venom masquerading as virtue." 

Pelosi, who is one of the country's most powerful Catholic politicians, made a passionate appeal to the archbishop in a letter obtained by The Chronicle not to participate in the National Organization for Marriage's June 19 march on the Supreme Court in Washington.

Cordileone, who is one of the featured speakers at the event, was a leader in the campaign for Proposition 8, the 2008 California anti-gay-marriage initiative.

She urged him to abandon an event in which some of the participants show "disdain and hate towards LGBT persons."

The goal of the second annual March for Marriage is to draw thousands of supporters of what they call "traditional marriage" to walk from the U.S Capitol to the Supreme Court. Conservative former presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, as well as Cordileone, are being billed as the star speakers.

The San Francisco Democratic leader is the most influential in a parade of public figures who have come forward to protest the San Francisco archbishop's participation in an event that is also backed by the Family Research Council. Critics have called the organizers "hate groups" that are targeting gays and lesbians.

Cordileone has publicly defended next week's March for Marriage as "an important means to promote and defend marriage for the good of our culture, to pray for our federal and state governments, and to stand in solidarity with people of good will."

Last week, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, along with a host of Bay Area religious leaders, sent a joint letter to Cordileone. 

As noted, it is long past time that the IRS begin revoking the tax exempt status of churches that seek to meddle in the civil laws and/or support GOP politicians.  Cordileone needs to immediately receive an letter from the IRS indicated that the Service is commencing action to revoke the tax exempt status of the San Francisco Archdiocese and that Cordileone can expect a very large tax bill.  For good measure, the City of San Francisco needs to hit up the Archdiocese with real estate tax bills and, better yet, commence tax sales of Church properties if the bills are not promptly paid.  It is far past time that average Americans ceasing being forced to indirectly subsidize nasty organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church.

 

The Catholic Church Heirarchy Steps Up Its Anti-Gay Jihad

Speaking of liars and hate merchants, Pope Benedict XVI and his sycophants in the Catholic Church hierarchy speak out of one side of their mouths that LGBT individuals should be treated with respect and dignity.  But then we see what they really believe as they seek to defame gays and deprive us of civil legal rights.  What am I talking about?  On the issue of defaming gays, African Cardinal Peter Turkson (pictured above), one of the top contenders for the papacy, has issued statements that seek to blame gays for the Church's worldwide sex abuse crisis.  Never mind the hierarchy's sick obsession with all things sexual and the warped psycho-sexual development of far too many seminarians.  Gay Star News looks at Turkson's anti-gay batshitery.  Here are highlights:

The African cardinal widely tipped to be the next pope has blamed the Catholic Church’s pedophilia on gay priests.  Cardinal Peter Turkson, from Ghana, said the sex abuses would never happen in Africa because the culture is against homosexuality.

Speaking to CNN, the 64-year-old said: ‘African traditional systems kind of protect or have protected its population against the tendency. ‘Because in several communities, in several cultures in Africa homosexuality or for that matter any affair between two sexes of the same kind, are not countenanced in our society.’ ‘So that cultural taboo, that tradition has been there,’ Turkson said. ‘It has served to keep it out.’

Never mind the fact that many experts on the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal expect that  before long a scandal similar to what has been seen all around the world will explode in Africa.  Indeed, the only reason that it hasn't exploded yet is because of the general ignorance and lack of education of most of the victims and their families.  When the sex abuse scandal does explode, I'm sure that once again Tuckson will blame it on the gays.  The real problem as often noted is the Church's bizarre and obsessive approach to all things sexual as symbolized by the image below:

I was raised as a Catholic, so I know all too well the obsession with sex and the evil nature and temptations of women.

Meanwhile the Church hierarchy continues its attack on any form of gay rights in America.  With the recent announcement that the Department of Defense will be extending some spousal benefits to gay service members and their families, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, and the vitriolic anti-gay Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco are throwing hissy fits that would out do the most outrageous drag queen.  The Navy Times looks at their efforts to undermine the goal of affording equal treatment to same sex couple headed military families.  What exposes the actions of these men as disingenuous bullshit is their supposed concern for children.  This from men who are part of the organization that has orchestrated a world wide criminal conspiracy to protect child rapists and obstruct justice.  Excuse me while I go make use of a vomit bag.  Here are excepts from the Navy Times article:

Two Catholic archbishops — one of them the archbishop of the military archdiocese — have expressed concern about the potential effects of the Defense Department’s new policy extending more benefits to same-sex domestic partners, to include negative effects on religious freedom and on children.

Broglio said the new policy could have possible negative effects on religious liberty, and used the example of an attorney in the Judge Advocate General Corps. “Could a JAG officer choose, out of religious or moral convictions, not to give legal advice on marital and family issues to same-sex ‘partners’ without being subject to discipline? Forcing the officer to violate his conscience would not be fair,” he said in the statement.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the bishops’ subcommittee for the promotion and defense of marriage, also expressed concerns about the policy’s potential effects on children.

Cordileone focused on the potential effects on children. “There is no question that all service members should be treated equally, but it is not discrimination to treat different things differently. Only a man and a woman can bring children into the world, and so marriage, as the foundation of the family, by its very nature can only be between a man and a woman,” he said.

Under Cordileone's bizarre manifestation of concern for children, the children of same sex military couples would be deprived of benefits and legal rights and resources.  Sadly, it is not surprising that "princes of the church" such as Broglio and Cordileone - who are part of a criminal conspiracy involving crimes against children - would seek to harm the children of same sex couples one or both of whom is/are in the U.S. military.   And believe me, I know a number of same sex couples locally where one of the spouses is in the military.  Real couples and real children are harmed by the agenda of Broglio and Cordileone - just as real children were and are being harmed by the Vatican orchestrated conspiracy to protect child rapists.

   

Drunk Anti-Gay Archbishop Had Male College Student In Car at Arrest

Things seem to be getting a bit curious about what exactly was really going in the early morning hours when new appointed Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone (pictured at right) - called by some the "father of Proposition 8" was arrested for DUI in San Diego.  Cordileone had said that he had been at dinner with friends and was driving his elderly mother home before he was to head home himself.  As Fr. Geoff Fallows (who got booted from his parish for refusing to support Prop 8) has picked up, that may not be the entire story: Cordileone had a young male in the car as well -something not mentioned if Cordileone's story line.  Obviously, a number of questions become relevant, including why Cordileone not mention this other passenger.  Here are some details from Fr. Geoff's blog:

Listen very carefully to the announcer of a local San Diego news station:

“According to police, 56 year old bishop Salvatore Cordileone was driving along the edge of SDSU when he entered a sobriety checkpoint he appeared drunk and was arrested shortly after midnight. He was in the car with his elderly mother and a foreign exchange student, a young male adult.”

If San Francisco Archbishop-elect Cordileone were just the simple priest that he claimed to be to at his arrest, his superior would have demanded explanations.

What were you doing driving drunk?

What was a college student doing in your passenger seat at that time of night?

After you dropped off your mother, where did you intend to go, and what were you going to do when you arrived?

Have you ever spent time with, or socialized, with this young man prior to your arrest? If so in what context and what is the nature of your relationship?

The matter would be brought to the attention of the bishop, and it would most probably affect his career and, of course, it would be handled discreetly.

The fact that Cordileone’s mother was present in the car with Cordileone and the young student would not clear the concerns or suspicions from the mind of a superior. Consider the statements of the police:

“Cordileone's mother, who was a passenger, was allowed to drive the mid-size black car home following her son's arrest after officers made sure she had not been drinking and had a valid license, McCullough [the arresting police officer] said.”

and:

"He was a driver that was obviously impaired,” Officer Mark McCullough also stated.

These two statements from police clearly indicate that Cordileone’s mother was sober and capable of driving the car that night. The second statement by officer McCullogugh that “he [Cordileone] was…obviously impaired” raises some serious questions about both the judgment and the laxity of Cordileone’s mother, with respect to her son. She can’t tell, or is unwilling to protest, that he is obviously drunk and poses a threat to human life behind the wheel of an automobile. How objective and outspoken would she be about a possible inappropriate relationship with a young student?

A superior/pastor/bishop would ask all of these questions of Salvatore Cordileone and so, it surprises me that the press does not. Then again, the Catholic hierarchy has much experience in managing the press. This is not a story they want pursued, it would be highly inconvenient in an election year. Especially on the same week that the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), New York Archbishop cardinal Dolan blesses the Republican National Convention and Mitt Romney’s bid to replace Obama as President. If Romney wins, the USCCB’s social conservativism will become national policy and this increases both USCCB [Vatican] power and prestige. 

Cordileone is not a simple priest. He is:  “Known as "the architect of Proposition 8," the 56-year-old played a pivotal role in convincing many Catholic organizations in California to help bankroll the 2008 campaign to overturn the state's same-sex marriage law. With his help, Prop 8 supporters raised some $1.5 million, which went a long way toward helping get the measure passed.”

It all may be an innocent situation.  However, the fact that Cordileone apparently deliberately never mentioned the young man raises the old question of "if you have nothing to hide, then why hide something."  People deserve an answer to the questions Fr. Geoff raises and I hope the full story comes out.  Obviously, it would be deliciously ironic if Cordileone is exposed as a closet case who got caught. It would be in keeping with the pattern of loudest homophobes actually being gay themselves. :)