From Deseret News archives:
Catholic group blasts archbishop
Members say he gave communion to male 'queer nuns'
A video of the archbishop giving the Eucharist to the two men one wearing a black-and-white headdress and painted face, and the other sporting a mustache, painted face and an elaborate arrangement of cloth flowers has been posted on the Internet by the blogsite Quamdiu Domine, whose link is being sent to the media by the watchdog group Catholic Media Coalition.
According to Quamdiu Domine, the two men in drag were members of a San Francisco group known as the Sisters of Perpetual lndulgence, which describes itself as "a leading-edge Order of queer nuns."
Whether or not the men were actually members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or were simply men dressed in costumes is unclear. Neither the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence nor Archbishop Niederauer could be reached for comment Thursday.
Mary Ann Kreitzer says she likes to take people at their word, but the archbishop's response "stretches credulity." Kreitzer is president of Virginia-based Catholic Media Coalition.
Conservative Catholic groups like Catholic Media Coalition apparently have had Archbishop Niederauer in their sights for some time. Kreitzer complained that he had made "a number of statements on homosexuality that are of some concern," and that he had given Holy Communion to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi despite her pro-choice stand. "He claimed not to know what her positions were," Kreitzer said.
She is certain that the two men who received communion on Sunday were members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which she describes as a group that endorses homosexuality and mocks the Catholic Church, and, she says, recently engaged in public masturbation and sado-masochistic behavior at the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. The group also used to hold bingo nights at the Most Holy Redeemer church, where the prizes included porn DVDs and sex toys, according to Kreitzer.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Web site includes pictures of men in drag and a statement that it takes "vows to promulgate joy, expiate stigmatic guilt and serve the community. ... We donate countless hours to ministering to and educating our community," as well as donating money to charities.
On its "frequently asked questions" page, in answer to the question "Why do you mock nuns?" the group says, "We are not mocking nuns, we are nuns. ... If you look at the work traditional nuns do, and then look at the work we do, you will find many similarities."
"San Francisco is an important archdiocese," Kreitzer said, "and to have an archbishop who is not willing to stand up for Catholic truth is of great concern to orthodox Catholics." Part of that truth, she contends, is that people who are in "grave sin" may not receive communion.
E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com
Recent comments
In case there was a misunderstanding, I never used the term "queer...
Mary Ann Kreitzer | Oct. 15, 2007 at 9:07 a.m.
I think the Archbishop is covering up. He knew exactly who these...
Shoshiru Honda | Oct. 14, 2007 at 5:33 a.m.
To think that this subject is discussed in the same sentence as the...
Anonymous | Oct. 13, 2007 at 10:06 p.m.
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