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| Fr. Larry Van Damme with me the summer I was ordained. |
St. Michael’s pastor offers clarification
I wish to clarify inaccuracies that have appeared in the media over the past several days. Among our members at St. Michael Catholic Church in Marquette we have valued parishioners with same sex attraction who serve in many capacities, including liturgical ministries. As their pastor, I love all of my parishioners whatever their circumstance. At no point have I instructed anyone to stand at the back of the church, the cry-room, or in the vestibule. Reports of this having occurred are a misunderstanding.
In the Catholic Christian Church there is a well-known, biblically-based teaching that those who are attracted to the same sex live a life of chastity, and that marriage is to be between one man and one woman. Jesus himself is our exemplar of chaste love. Chastity applies to everyone: the married and the unmarried, the divorced and widowed, those who have chosen a single life and those unable to get married. Within marriage, chastity means being faithful to one’s spouse, being open to life, and treating one’s spouse with dignity. For the unmarried, chastity means abstaining from sexual relations. This expectation is consistently made known to new members of the Catholic Church, and is freely chosen when they make the decision to become Catholic. With God’s grace and the prayerful support of others, living chastely can be a life of rich vitality, deep loving relationships and generosity.
All Christians struggle and sometimes fail to live up to the teachings of Christ, myself included. Distinct from this is the case in which someone makes a deliberately thought-out life-decision to live in a manner which runs contrary to the teachings of their faith and of Scripture. When it becomes a matter not of failing to live up to the teachings of Christ, but of actively opposing them and celebrating their contrary, the situation calls for a particular pastoral response. More specifically, if a parishioner has chosen to celebrate and promote views contradicting the words they would sing in the choir, or proclaim from Scripture as a lector, then they are asked not to lead in the singing or proclamation of those words. However, they are still welcome to worship in the church with fellow members of the Body of Christ.
As a Catholic Christian, I recognize my own unworthiness; I, too, fail to live up to the Word. All the same, I must not deliberately oppose It. As I strive to remain steadfast in faith, one of the most loving things I can do for my parishioners is ask them to be similarly faithful, and prayerfully help them strive for integrity when their personal choices and actions clearly contradict the faith we profess as Catholic Christians.
In all sincerity, my prayers are with anyone who is confused or feels hurt by the misunderstandings that have taken place in the past several days. With many concerned parishioners, I don’t want to see anyone separated from our parish family or the Church.
Rev. Larry Van Damme
Pastor of St. Michael Catholic Church in Marquette
Here also is Bishop Doerfler's public statement made a few days after the initial story hit the press.
Beautiful response. Glad to hear the accusation of "told to sit in the vestibule," is inaccurate. I read that in the paper, and it was almost the "focal point" of the live news coverage. I thought to myself "I can't picture Fr. Larry saying that." I'm not surprised to find out he never did say that. All the rest is simply following the normal steps to be taken to prevent the faithful from confusion. I was shocked by what was reported in the media, and feel Fr. Larry is really being persecuted for teaching the truth of the Catholic faith (aka doing his job.) Our good Priest's have to remain very courageous in our increasingly hostile society. I am keeping Fr. Larry in my prayers, and thank God that he responded properly, and as charitably as possible.
ReplyDeleteI can, picture, Father Larry saying such things - I know a person who has been subjected to his vituperation and vitriol! His statement "At no point have I instructed anyone to stand at the back of the church, the cry-room, or in the vestibule." is extremely self-serving and thus is of dubitable credibility on its face! One might ask why would Father Larry tell an untruth in this statement? Perhaps (and quite probably) to "back pedal" on his abhorrent behavior! If Father Larry is to be believed then Bobby Glenn made up that fact - but why would he do that when Father Larry was clearly the aggressor and instigator of the entire episode!
DeleteIf Fr. Larry is being persecuted it is because he was persecuting, bullying and abusing a parishioner. Father Larry's interaction with Bobby Glenn Brown was not a teaching moment, but simply a physically imposing priest who "flew off the handle" because he has an anger management problem!
Fr. Ben's comment "but unlike the story told by Bobby Glenn Brown, it's not in their headlines, and is often behind the subscriber wall where it is conveniently difficult to access!" is also "off base". If he was a print subscriber to the Mining Journal he would have seen that they called attention to Father Larry's OpEd with a banner on the front page prominently displayed below the masthead stating "Rev. Larry Van Damme offers clarification in St. Michael's controversy, page 4A".
Fr. Larry gives the benefit of the doubt by referring to the report as a misunderstanding, while you jump in the opposite direction and assume it's a bald-faced lie. As to possible motives, it certainly has made a great headline for the media. "Persecuting, bullying, and abusing" are pretty inaccurate descriptions for confronting a parishioner with the entirely predictable consequences of their public rejection of clear Church teaching. Bobby Glenn has known for years what the Church teaches, and it is certainly his prerogative to reject that... but to imagine he can publicly reject Church teaching and then expect no one to notice or respond? Come on...
DeleteI had to click about 6 links on the Mining Journal's page to find the letter, and then I could only read the first paragraph. I'm glad they published it, I'm glad people who live in Marquette and subscribe could read it. I would have happily reposted their link, but that wasn't an option.
You know, in this world many people want to pick and choose what they want to believe in....a God - no God, different faiths, etc. My personal view is "if you don't like the rules that exist where you are, you can always go somewhere else"....don't expect or impost your differences on those who believe otherwise, We have our beliefs and rights too and are entitled to worship and pray in a religion that believes what God said is true. God made "the rules" not man.
ReplyDeleteg
too bad Martin Luther didn't have your advice to benefit by, or I would still be able to buy and indulgence today
DeleteTen Commandments aren't subject to revision, nor basic moral teaching grounded in the natural law. A man's body isn't made for another man's body, nor a woman's for another woman's. Anyone is free to reject Christ's and the Church's teaching. That doesn't mean they get to force the Church to embrace their view.
DeleteBy your logic, we should still be supporting slavery since the Catholic church used to be behind that. Maybe women should cover their heads, because that was also a Catholic rule. It is this hypocrisy and judgement that turns amazing people away from the church. I do not care who said what. This article makes it clear. I am actively taking Birth control, I have had sex outside of marriage, I love my gay family and friends. Best of all I know God loves all of us! Since I am actively against "catholic teachings" I cannot sing in the choir anymore? We are all searching for the truth, but I believe in Jesus and God and like the Catholic faith. Where in a song does it say, "i will not be gay" or "I will be chaste"? When I sing in the choir I am singing about God's love and loving all of his children. This has definitely made me re-think going to St. Michaels. With peoples attitudes like this, close minded, we will only watch more and more people walk away from Catholicism, maybe myself included. . .
ReplyDeleteThank you for very authentic and forthright questions.
ReplyDeleteI would say that it is hypocrisy to embrace SOME of what Jesus teaches and ignore the rest. That's hard for each of us in different places, and Jesus knew it would be hard for us... "Take up your cross and follow me."
Does God love all of us? ABSOLUTELY! Does He want you to love your gay friends and family? Yes, clearly. But for love to be full and authentic, it must be love in truth. God's love for us means that He hates our sins because they harm us and others. What did Jesus say to the woman caught in adultery? "Hey, no big deal, I love you, those old rules don't apply!" Not on your life... He said, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." He looks upon YOU with great love, seeing your heart, and He calls you to conversion, too. Why does He call you away from sin in your own life? Because He loves you and God knows the damage sin does to us.
I know our popular culture brackets the Ten Commandments, but it does embraces this approach around addiction... does loving someone who struggles with alcoholism mean buying them whiskey, encouraging them to keep drinking, or simply ignoring the problem? Is it easy to confront the problem? Does the person who's addicted "like" it when they are confronted? This is how God sees all sin... He loves the sinner perfectly, and always calls that beloved son or daughter away from sin.
So what should you do? You shouldn't dismiss Jesus' moral teachings... He said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Most of our songs don't list the ten commandments, but that doesn't mean we should ignore them. Read one of the Gospels and see if Jesus really doesn't care about sin. The Lord wants you to give Him your whole heart by fighting against sin in your own life, and loving people enough to tell them the truth, just as He loves you enough to tell you the truth.
Why do you think that Fr. Larry and I, and Dcn. Dennis, and Fr. Michael all took time to walk with Bobby Glenn over the past 4 years, to discuss Jesus' teaching, to explain it, to encourage him, to welcome him? Were we just luring him into a trap? Of course not... he approached the parish and expressed a desire to become Catholic, and when presented with the fullness of the faith, including the whole moral teaching, He freely chose to embrace that teaching and the faith. If he has now publicly reneged on that commitment, I'm sorry, and it's sad. But he's been at the steering wheel all along, and has had full information all along, and if he's living the consequences of his own choices now, he certainly can't blame anyone else.
No priest wants anyone to walk away... but if the price of keeping people here is lying to them, avoiding the full truth Jesus teaches, or pretending that Jesus like sin... well, that's not what Jesus did, it's not what He taught, it's not what the Church does, it's not what the Church teaches, and it's not something any person who really loves another person can do. A lot of people walked away from Jesus because they didn't like His teachings, including some of His apostles. There's no joy in that, but we have to tell the truth in imitation of Him who is Truth! He is also a God full of mercy, always welcoming the repentant sinner, the prodigal son or daughter home.
If I were you the first step I would take is to make a good confession to a priest you trust and hash out some of this there... following Christ isn't easy, but He never said it would be! Know of my prayers for you...
I saw the news the night WLUC aired the story, I did not like the way they presented the story. as I later found out that wasn't the exact way it happened. If Bobby Glen Brown did not want to make this such a issue . He didn't have to make this so public. He had to know that the church has rules (like every one does) and that the church would have to act on them., as any governed body would.
ReplyDeleterules do change though, right? or is the RCC still selling indulgences?
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQjNJUSraY&list=UUg_AAlIDrZ6ymrPYAlT3-lA
ReplyDeleteThis argument, that the Bible doesn't teach against homosexuality, has been hashed and rehashed, but it's up against 2000 years of consistent interpretation, the clear Biblical teaching that sexual intimacy belongs in the marriage between one man and one woman, and the long list of verses that condemn homosexuality explicitly. This isn't going to change.
Deleteoh yes let us please blindly follow rules the promote bigotry and hate...good idea
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be assumed that God's commandments condemning certain behaviors (murder, adultery, lying, etc.) necessarily lead to bigotry and hate? Or is it the case that some moral prohibitions are necessary? This seems to be an attempt to sidestep a basic question: are homosexual acts according to human nature, biology, and God's plan for us? If they're not, then teaching that truth is a necessary act of faithfulness to God. Certainly one could engage in that teaching in a hateful way. That is clearly not what happened here. A man approached the Church, had the Church's teaching clearly explained to him at length and over time, and subsequently chose to reject it.
DeleteI didn't need approval on other news postings???????????????
ReplyDeleteI was baptized Catholic when I was 5 years old. I Attended the Catholic church in Menominee, MI. until I was 7 years old (when my father divorced my step mother). Then I started attended the Lutheran Church in Harvey from the time I was 9 until I was 13. Many years later I attended St. Peters in Marquette as well as St. Michaels a few times in the course of 3 years. Not every Sunday, but maybe a hand full of times each year. Then I stepped back into a Lutheran Church just to re-fresh myself of what differs Catholic from Lutheran Faith and if I should really bow my head to the Catholic Faith or to NO FAITH AT ALL!?! In The face of Catholic.. because I am female... I am not worth much. I am only good for giving birth, submitting to my husband and doing only what he allows me to do. I should never speak my mind for I am a women and have done nothing great or worthy in religious history. When my husband wishes to no longer have any more children then we no longer can have sex. Why? Because birth-control of any kind is a sin and goes against the religion. However, my husband is allow to go off and pleasure himself with other women all he would like and I can not do anything about it. I must accept my place and worship my husband and my god. On the Lutheran end... I am respected the same as the man.... I am looked upon with respect and treated equally in all aspects. Because I am a female doesn't shame me for a women did not cause issues alone, a man was also in tow. Adultery is not acceptable in any way and birth control is understandable. WHY DO I POINT THIS STUFF OUT? It is because even today the Catholic Church does not view women as equals. I highly doubt God wanted women to be submissive and used and treated as tho she is a family pet. I see many comments from someone stating that we must abide by the BIBLE cause GOD wrote it. AGAIN... GOD DID NOT WRITE THE BIBLE... MAN DID. In fact some man who wrote it says GOD TOLD HIM WHAT TO WRITE. I am sorry, but you can not tell me in the process of getting that information that this man did not miss-write things, miss-understand certain points and in the end and over time... added some of his own demands into it?! More so it was not even written in ENGLISH. So, the translation has many faults as well. SO WHY DO PEOPLE stand here trying to force the WORD OF GOD from a BOOK that more then likely has many errors? PEOPLE NEED to learn it is ok to have FAITH but you do not go at it like it is a LAW!!!!!!! A FAITH SHOULD BE CELEBRATED... not forced and mourned. AS FAR AS BOOBY BROWN GOES... I still say Father Larry did tell him if Bobby wished to serve god that he must do it away from the main congregation. I think the only reason he is adjusting what he said now is because of the back-lash it has brought him. Every one who does something wrong will always wish to cover their own behind even if it means lying. I do agree that if you do not like the rules then you can always attend somewhere else, but I also feel the church willingly used someone knowing full well in the end they would be telling that person good bye. Also, to tell someone they can not sing because of this is very un-fitting as well. Since when do you have to fully believe in something in order to be allowed to sing it? Do you know how many times I have sung in churches and not believe in full what the song was saying? Do you know how many times I see a church and I think, "GOD, you need to hurry up and get your butt down here because the Catholic church has gone to Hell and it is taking everyone down with it. Father Larry also stated that un-married should not be having sex. I am sorry but if you think your single members are not having sex... you are gullible my friend. As I said before.... if every St. Michaels Member actually stood up and confessed their sin... there would be nearly no one left to serve. And Yep, I am giving my first name because unlike a lot of this Anonymous bull I am seeing, I am not afraid to say what I feel is needed to be said.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian faith, as revealed in Scripture (God's Word in human words) and Tradition, is the Truth, and we are called to conform our lives to Christ, not make Him fit our tastes.
DeleteYou are welcome to make up a faith that follows your preferences, and in doing so would find that you are not Catholic.
We are all sinners, the Church is a hospital for sinners, but it is a hospital that offers healing truth. If someone says, "I don't want your medicine," and leaves, that is their prerogative.
Down through history, from the Blessed Mother and through the all the female saints from all walks of life, women have a played a vital role in the Church. In many centuries we know a lot about the lives of the women saints who taught and lead and impacted the Church and history, and very little about any other women. No culture has respected the equality and dignity of women perfectly, and the Church has often been impacted by that environment, and failed to correct every cultural error. Who built AND ran the Catholic hospitals, schools, and nursing homes of the U.S. since the 1800's, and in many parts of the country, the only hospitals, schools, and nursing homes? Catholic nuns.
Men and woman are different, out of that God-given difference they have often played out different roles in God's plan, and they are equal in dignity. To try to equate equal dignity with being indistinguishable doesn't work.
Clearly the Church condemns all sexual sin, whether the use of artificial contraceptives, or infidelity, or fornication, or adultery. In fact, contraceptives have create a bitter "playground" in our culture, particularly advancing the cause of the least responsible men, and helping confirm that a pregnancy is a woman's "problem," and supporting the continued objectification of women. If someone is living in an invalid marriage, or cohabitating, that also removes them from taking on a public leadership role in the Church.
Kimberly, it's clear you don't like the Church's teaching, and are being very honest about your own grappling with that teaching. Thank you for that honesty. I would just direct your attention again to Jesus' encounter with the woman caught in adultery. He defended her, protected her from violence, treated her with dignity, refused to condemn her, AND called her to conversion. These things go together for all who follow Christ, and especially for all who minister in His name. To be a Christian is to conform our lives to Christ who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." That hits each of us in different places.
In understanding this situation, it's necessary to distinguish between private behavior and public acts. Marriage, or an attempt at marriage, or a designation of something as "marriage," or imitating marriage and calling it something else are all public, stable commitments. Anyone might commit serious sin, and repent, and go to confession, and receive absolution, and approach the Eucharist in a state of grace. That is distinct from publicly proclaiming "I'm going to live, and keep living, in a situation objectively contrary to Christian teaching." That public act has public consequences.
God Bless, Fr. Ben
Confessors don't discuss the confessions they've heard in public, or they're excommunicated. Priests don't share private counseling conversations in public. The question here is not a particular Catholic's private chastity or lack thereof. That's certainly an important question for any person, and an important question for them and their confessor, and before God. Public rumors about private behavior are notoriously unreliable. The question here is a public act widely understood to involve the committing of one's heart and body to another in a way objectively contrary to Church teaching. Would it be appropriate for Mr. Brown to approach communion? I don't know, probably not, but that's not the question that was addressed by Fr. Larry. The "gay movement" is sparing no effort to coerce everyone to accept their redefinition of marriage, and they clearly see sexual intimacy as part and parcel of that (or perhaps the only significant piece).
ReplyDeleteAgain... you may not like Christ's and the Church's clear moral teaching (Jesus: "If you love me, keep my commandments."), and that is your prerogative. But to imagine that the Church is unfaithful to Christ BECAUSE the Church calls the faithful to follow those commandments... that doesn't make any sense.
The denominations that are going with the popular culture have two characteristics... lots of public praise, and typically, pretty empty pews. Following Christ has never been a popularity contest.
Happily, it is the living word of God and we continue to evolve in our understanding. It seems to me, the Catholic Church has chosen to cling to exclusionary beliefs while allowing sin to corrupt it from the inside. That anyone chooses the Catholic Church these days is a testament to the basic tenets of the faith and not the interpretation of "men" (and in this church's practice it truly is men) who are imperfect. Some of us stay to be that voice in the wilderness, challenging the church to evolve and represent Christ's teachings. While the hypocrisy and machinations sadden me, I know that I follow the Catholic faith and not the imperfect church.
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