Monday, February 13, 2012
Religion Father Ryan Stands Up for Gay Rights
Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Clearly responding to Seattle Archbishop Peter J. Sartain's escalating campaign to stop a same-sex marriage bill, Father Michael Ryan of St. James Catherdral delivered a sermon yesterday that goes to bat for lesbians and gays. From his homily:
Think, for instance, of gay and lesbian people who struggle so hard for acceptance and understanding, struggle to be respected and loved for who they are. Or think of people who are in marriages that the Church does not recognize and that cannot, for a variety of reasons, be regularized by the Church, yet who hunger to be welcomed and to be given a place at the Table.
In responding to them, the Church can do no better than to look to the Jesus of the gospels, the Jesus of today’s gospel, and to find there the one for whom there are no outcasts whatever: only fellow humans in need of love, human warmth, healing, acceptance.
It is this Jesus whom we now approach in the Eucharist. As with the leper, so with us: Jesus allows us to come close to him, and he lovingly stretches out his hand to touch us, to welcome us, to reassure us, to heal us.
Good for Father Ryan.
1
I'm not crazy about the comparison to leprosy, but I don't want to let that get in the way of what's actually a very nice sentiment.
2
My guess is that the Archbishop of Seattle has already received an email from the Vatican ordering Fr. Ryan's dismissal.
There can be no dissenters under Pope Benedict's iron-clad rule. Zieg Heil!
There can be no dissenters under Pope Benedict's iron-clad rule. Zieg Heil!
6
@4, I'm no scholar, but I did score high on the GED: he's not comparing gays to lepers, he's comparing Catholics to lepers.
11
Oh, Fr Mike Ryan is just THE BEST! He often sticks his own neck out for what's right, not what's politically required by the church hierarchy. And he gets in trouble for it. I hope that this won't end in his resignation/removal, but I love him all the more for doing it!
12
Readers of this post as well as Dominic may be interested in my P-I post today about gay weddings in Washington State: http://blog.seattlepi.com/nealstarkman/2….
14
@1 & 4
Two of yesterday's Mass readings were about lepers, so that was probably just Fr. Ryan connecting the bible stories to current events.
Two of yesterday's Mass readings were about lepers, so that was probably just Fr. Ryan connecting the bible stories to current events.
15
I assume the Vatican has a prelate winging his way to Seattle right now to sort this Ryan fellow out, just like they did with Hunthausen. Ratzinger played the lead role in that ouster; what hot-shit young cowboy in the Church is going to make his reputation by decapitating Fr. Ryan?
16
Father Ryan lives in grace. We is wonderful. He is ahead of current Catholic Dogma, which will move in his directions. He embodies what and how Christians could think and act.
17
@13 I'm sure this is what you'd like it to be about, but the supposed teachings of Jesus also order people to pledge unquestioning/unthinking obedience to a magic man in the sky who has so far produced no good reason to believe he exists. The hippie stuff is nice in places, but the core of all religions will always be "shut up and do as your told," it has to be, that's how this dogma shit works.
19
Fuck ya, Roght on for F. Ryan.
@17. Tsk, tsk. "Shut up and do what you're told" sounds exactly how we live in out military/industrial culture.
@17. Tsk, tsk. "Shut up and do what you're told" sounds exactly how we live in out military/industrial culture.
22
He's not actually breaking any ground here.
He talks about gays and lesbians who want to be accepted for who they are. The Church teaches that gays and lesbians are likely to have been born that way, and they should be accepted. The Church does not believe that gays and lesbians should have any sort of sex, and doesn't want them to marry.
Fr Ryan also mentions "...people who are in marriages that the Church does not recognize..." This doesn't apply to gays and lesbians. This applies to Catholics, who got divorced and then remarried, with no annulment, and because of this, cannot have that 2nd marriage recognized by the Church.
He talks about gays and lesbians who want to be accepted for who they are. The Church teaches that gays and lesbians are likely to have been born that way, and they should be accepted. The Church does not believe that gays and lesbians should have any sort of sex, and doesn't want them to marry.
Fr Ryan also mentions "...people who are in marriages that the Church does not recognize..." This doesn't apply to gays and lesbians. This applies to Catholics, who got divorced and then remarried, with no annulment, and because of this, cannot have that 2nd marriage recognized by the Church.
23
Fr. Mike Ryan is one of the few really GOOD people that I know, lay or clergy. I have admired him for years. And he sees the Catholic Church the way Jesus intended. It is not about power, it is about love for each other.
24
#17, this "...the core of all religions will always be "shut up and do as your told," it has to be, that's how this dogma shit works." Is not what all religion is about.
Sounds like you either grew up in or were exposed to dogmatic religious people. I grew up in a hippie Catholic Church where we learned that "God is love," and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." My parents, religious people, taught me that God loves us as we are--including gays and lepers :)
Father Ryan is my kind of Catholic. There are no outcasts. At the very least, Jesus was a great and spiritual man akin to Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King, a leader, a peacemaker, a visionary. Jesus did NOT shut up and do as he was told, neither did Dr. King. Both Jesus and Dr. King were freedom and equality revolutionaries in the name of God.
We may not like the hate and evil that some of Jesus' followers espouse, but whether or not a "magic man" in the sky exists, many good men--Jesus and MLK included--believed God does exist and they did good and loving work in God's name. (
Even if you don't believe that Jesus preformed miracles, he was a freedom fighter for the poor, for women, for criminals and I'm sure if there were out gay people, he would have fought for their freedom too).
Sounds like you either grew up in or were exposed to dogmatic religious people. I grew up in a hippie Catholic Church where we learned that "God is love," and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." My parents, religious people, taught me that God loves us as we are--including gays and lepers :)
Father Ryan is my kind of Catholic. There are no outcasts. At the very least, Jesus was a great and spiritual man akin to Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King, a leader, a peacemaker, a visionary. Jesus did NOT shut up and do as he was told, neither did Dr. King. Both Jesus and Dr. King were freedom and equality revolutionaries in the name of God.
We may not like the hate and evil that some of Jesus' followers espouse, but whether or not a "magic man" in the sky exists, many good men--Jesus and MLK included--believed God does exist and they did good and loving work in God's name. (
Even if you don't believe that Jesus preformed miracles, he was a freedom fighter for the poor, for women, for criminals and I'm sure if there were out gay people, he would have fought for their freedom too).
25
Father Ryan is a loving, caring man whom I have admired for many years. You've always stood up for what you believe to be right, Mike. Keep on keeping on. I support you.
26
Father Ryan is a gentle, kind man who has always stood up for what he believes to be right. Keep on keeping on, Mike. You have my support and prayers.
27
Is it the Irish heritage or religious belief that keeps Fr Ryan saying the right thing at the right time.
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