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[Printed Letter to the Editor, StarTribune, December 22, 2007. Not found in electronic edition]
In her Dec. 19 commentary, "What's this new sin called complicity?" Ann Marie DeGroot presents an argument against the Catholic Church's teaching on homosexual activity that is representative of many such proposals I have recently received -- with one exception: She does claim that this archbishop is "good!"
The caricature that she makes of my argument is that "parents of an actively homosexual child cannot invite that person home for Christmas dinner" without committing a sin. I never said or implied that and I never would.
After being born, raised and educated in a Catholic home and Catholic schools, my brother decided to join an evangelical church. My parents were heartbroken but continued to keep in touch with him. He knew that my parents never accepted his action, but he also knew they would not reject his person.
The same is even more true for any child involved in an immoral activity. You don't have to sanction the behavior in order to eat Christmas dinner with that son or daughter. At the same time, you do not have to condone that activity. You urge the offspring to reconsider his/her activity and you pray for his/her conversion. In other words, you let it be known you do not approve. Parents, family members, friends are called to radical honesty and moral integrity. There is nothing "new" about that.
The Rev. John C. Nienstedt, St Paul
Coadjutor Archbishop of St Paul and Minneapolis
5 comments:
I just love him more and more. He is not afraid to tell it like it is, and he does so with a lot of love; I'm certain this battle is not new to him.
Agreed, Adoro.
I think this next Summer is going to be extremely interesting.
Archbishop Flynn turns 75 May 2. I assume that his request for retirement will be acted on promptly by Rome. But what they mean by promptly may not be the same as what we mean.
But because they did appoint Abp. Nienstedt as the Coadjutor, I would assume that they will accept the retirement within the month.
But June July and August will be "basic training time" for demonstrators who will be preparing for the Republican National Convention ending on Labor Day weekend.
That's a long time and many will be looking for other things to do. These folks probably aren't interested too much in walleyes, crappies and golf.
Many of these Democratic, anarchist, IWW, commie, socialist, pro-choice, homosexual, and other varieties of Republican opponents will be more than willing to join the local folks and practice their demonstration techniques on the Archdiocese and its new Archbishop.
Why even the Global Warming folks, PETA, School of the Americas and other garden variety of demonstrators probably will have an agenda that holds the Church responsible for their issues, too.
I wouldn't be surprised if "Stop the Inquisition" and "Free Galileo Now!" movements show up too.
LOL!
Free the Whales! The Catholic Church kills Tuna!
Golly, Adoro, I forgot that we still are supposed to abstain from meat on Fridays. And many of still substitute fish. Even McDonalds has fish specials on Fridays during Lent. [I generally do, but I forgot when I posted that last comment].
PETA will really their axes sharpened on that issue.
PETA ~ People Eating Tasty Animals.
I'm a HUGE fan of Eating Tasty Animals.
Did you hear that PETA shut down the egg business of some Trappist Monks? All the people of the town came to the Monks' defense, but because PETA is such a pain in the Ass and flagrantly disregard facts in favor of playing the bully, they were so disruptive to the prayerful life of the Monks that they had to shut down their operation.
It completely pisses me off!
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