Archbishop Harry Flynn To Rainbow Sash: No Eucharist For You!

Alert reader Tanya W. e-mail us Archbishop Harry H. Flynn's response to the Rainbow Sash Alliance. Tanya's exclamation, "Thank God for courageous shepherds!" says it all. It's leadership like Flynn's that attracts people to the Catholic Church.

May 2, 2005

Mr. Brian McNeil Rainbow Sash Alliance USA 3123 22nd Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55407

Dear Mr. McNeil,

You first wrote to me in 2001 about the presence of people wearing the "rainbow sash" to Masses in the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Because you assured me that the act of wearing such a sash was not a denial of church teaching, I have not interfered with anyone's desire to receive Holy Communion.

Brian, it has become apparent to me that the wearing of the sash is more and more perceived as a protest against church teaching. Such a perception has been heightened by the explicit statements to this end made in other parts of the United States. Locally, people wearing the sash did not honor Father Talbot's request to remove the sash prior to receiving the Eucharist. Brian, the fact that you personally chose to confront Father Talbot after that Mass confirms the adversarial nature of your appearance at the Mass. Finally, the Vatican has communicated to me that it does indeed consider the wearing of the Rainbow Sash during reception of Communion to be unacceptable, a directive that I believe all Bishops will adhere to.

Therefore, this is to notify you and the other members of the Minnesota Rainbow Sash group that I am asking you to remove your sashes before you receive Holy Communion. I ask you to observe this sign of respect for the Eucharist not only in the Cathedral but in all our parishes. No one wearing the sash will be permitted to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

In closing, I want to reiterate that the stated policy of the Catholic Church and of this Archdiocese is to be welcoming to baptized Catholics of all backgrounds, including those with same sex orientation. The criterion for reception of the Eucharist is the same for all - recipients must be in a state of Grace and free from Mortal sin. While the decision for that judgment rests with an individual Catholic's conscience, it has never been nor is it now acceptable for a communicant to use the reception of Communion as an act of protest.

Brian, in the past you have assured me of your desire to advance the unity of the Church. Counting on that, I trust that you and your members will honor my request. I invite you not to use Pentecost as a cause celebre that creates further disruption and damages the communion of our Church.

With blessings and good wishes, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Harry H. Flynn, D.D.
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Comments

[The King's Daughter]

Finally, someone states the obvious - and it's an Archbishop!

[MStooge]

Flynn is hardly courageous.

[Catholic29]

The Archbishop's name is "Harry" J. Flynn

[Maximus]

Doh! Thanks!

[Ed Murphy]

I seriously doubt that the same Jesus who ate at table with "sinners" would deny homosexual Catholics entry to the Eucharistic Table. This country and its religious right wing is going down the tubes of strict, conservatism. I am ashamed to call myself a Catholic after reading how these gay people were treated in church. Instead of welcoming those who have no choice in their sexual orientation, these faux-Catholics turned them away. Shame.

[Maximus]

Ed Murphy: Yours is a disingenuous response, at best. As you should no, the Church denies Communion to no one based on their sexual orientation. The Chruch considers homosexual oprientation to be disordered, but not sinful.

Christ ate with sinners, but he was always calling them to repent and turn from sin. He never said this was easy. As we are all sinners, all of us know how difficult a road this can be -- especially for someone with a homosexual orientation.

We ought to be compassionate, but that doesn't mean Church doctrine should be tossed aside for the sake of those who want it to reflect their preferences.

[genjuanpa]

Hi, don´t miss this videotribute to Pope John Paul:

http://www.geocities.com/genjuanpa/

P2P Downloads english version:

Low resolution, 5Mb. (For forwanding it through mail):
ed2k://|file|Santosubito_lr_es.%20Juan%20Pablo%20II,%20video%20homenaje.wmv|4738914|508D36CD1205E53FC2D6B20217711F0E|/

High resolution (27 MB):
ed2k://|file|Juan%20Pablo%20II%20Homenaje.%20Santosubito%20video_HR.wmv|28986434|8E9983E7C75BBDD35F376BF13F225887|/

Medium Resolution: (13 Mb):
ed2k://|file|Santosubito_Juan%20Pablo%20II,video%20Homenaje_espa%C3%B1ol_stereo.wmv|14327794|83C3C0CD1156F3CA379BC597B8F587BB|/

[Jason]

The gay and lesbian movement has not been the aggressor in this battle in the Catholic Church. Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict has supported in written and spoken statement the physical and emotional abuse of gay and lesbian people and those of us who are heterosexual but support our gay friends.

I understand archbishop Flynn is in a precarious situation and belive he has done the best he could with this situation. But he shouldn't be in a situation like this. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that sexual relations outside of a marriage is immoral - therefore it does not need to specifically persecute gay and lesbian people. That rule alone is all that need be stated. I am certain that many of the people who are extrordinally prejudicial against homosexuals have had sexual relations outside of marriage. That means they have commited the exact same sin that they are persecuting others for.

The worst part of this whole mess is that the same hierarchy who preaches that two men or women in a consensual relationship are evil, has at the same time protected and, in the case of Bernard Law, promoted priests who rape children and those that cover up the rapes. If that is not a double standard, I don't know what is. Physicians, heal thyselves!