Catholic Archdiocese boots gay church
from AIDS facility in La.
MCC New Orleans has 90 days to find
new place to worship
By DYANA BAGBY, WashingtonBlade.com,
August 17, 2005
A predominately gay New Orleans
church is being kicked out of a Catholic HIV/AIDS residential facility after the
Catholic Archdiocese learned members support same-sex marriage.
The Metropolitan Community Church of Greater New Orleans was told Aug. 4 it had
90 days to vacate its temporary space at the Project Lazarus complex, a Marigny
AIDS hospice that is overseen by the Catholic Church.
MCC and the Catholic Church entered into a one-year lease agreement in May for
the MCC, a church founded specifically for gay people, to worship at the
Catholic facility. But according to an Archdiocese spokesperson, after the
contract was signed and more inquiries were made into the MCC, the Catholic
Church learned of its stance in support of same-sex marriage and decided to
terminate the contract.
“We do not want to give the impression that we support that [same-sex
marriage],” Father William Maestri said.
Rev. Dexter Brecht, pastor of the 45-member MCC of Greater New Orleans, said he
and officials with Project Lazarus had no conflict, but the Archdiocese said it
was “inappropriate” for the MCC to worship on its property.
“Those with Project Lazarus are personally open, but the Archdiocese owns the
property. It didn’t dawn on me the Archdiocese might step in,” Brecht
said.
Rev. Troy Perry, moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches, a Christian
denomination with churches in 23 countries and the parent denomination of the
New Orleans church, issued a written statement criticizing the decision.
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Mark Jordan, a professor of religion at Emory
University, said he hopes Catholics in New Orleans will worship at
the Metropolitan Community Church to protest the church getting
kicked out of a Catholic AIDS facility. (Photo by John Roux) |
“I am saddened that the Archdiocese
is expelling the rent-paying, lease-holding congregation, not from a church
building, but from an AIDS hospice,” Perry said. “They are sending a clear
message to people with HIV that the Roman Catholic Church welcomes you as a sick
or dying person, but not as a living, loving person.”
Mark Jordan, a religion professor at Emory University and author of “The Silence
of Sodom: Homosexuality in Modern Catholicism,” said the New Orleans
Catholic leaders are simply parroting what they are told to say by the church’s
hierarchy.
“I find it hard to believe that anyone would be confused about the Catholic
church’s opposition to same-sex marriage or erotic relations just because the
archdiocese is renting community center space to the MCC,” he said.
Jordan called current Catholic teachings against homosexuality “loud and severe”
and encouraged Catholics in New Orleans to worship at the MCC next Sunday to
protest the “official injustice” from the archdiocese.
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