The Diocese of Maine may have some surprises in these this week end.This has been an interesting and uplifting Friday for me. I wrote a friend the other day that the uber right had over stepped themselves, and in that over stepping had started to engulf the center right and centrist positions. The uber right was forcing people who had previously felt no compulsion, to really look at their positions and the people who voiced those positions. In many cases those previously complacent people were turning to the left center in order not to be engulfed in the anger and hate of the right. Many were adopting positions which they had not previously looked at nor considered.
Today in the National Catholic Reporter both John Allen and Michael Sean Winters gave voice to the phenomenon and how destructive it is to the pro life cause. But it isn't just the pro life cause this righteous anger, reflexive condemnation, and bankrupt logic has impacted. It's also the gay marriage issue. In Maine, some faithful Catholics are finally saying, "No the bishop does not speak for all of us." They are actively fighting the Maine diocese and its campaign to rescind the right of gay marriage in Maine and they are doing it in their parish churches.
Catholics for Marriage Equality Issues Statement in Response to Diocesan Fundraising for Campaign to Repeal Maine's Marriage Equality Law
Portland, Maine (Friday, September 11, 2009)---
Portland, Maine (Friday, September 11, 2009)---
Catholics for Marriage Equality (C4ME), an organization urging Catholics and all Mainers to vote no on Question 1 on the November 3rd ballot, today issued the following statement in response to the Diocese of Portland's fundraising for the campaign to repeal Maine's marriage equality law:
"Catholics for Marriage Equality calls on its members and all Catholics who share our support for marriage equality to take two peaceful but effective actions in our parishes this Sunday so that the diocese will know it is not speaking for all faithful Catholics.
"First, instead of money, we urge parishioners who support marriage equality to place a note in the special collection envelope stating that they do not support the bishop's stance to deprive same-sex couples of the right to civil marriage and will instead donate funds to NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality, which opposes Question 1, or to a charity that is inclusive of all families.
"Second, we ask supportive Catholics to sign our petition affirming that the Church can define marriage as it wishes for its members but that marriage as a civil right is the prerogative of the state to define.
Our petition is available at: religiouscoalition.org.
"C4ME exists to give hope to those who are hurt and angry because of our bishop's determination to overturn the legislature's passage of marriage equality. We will disseminate information that is truthful and respectful stating why marriage equality is a matter of civil rights and social justice that Catholics are free to support-indeed, may feel compelled to support as a matter of social conscience and responsible citizenship."
Contact: Anne Underwood, Catholics for Marriage Equality, (207)650-1588
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For way too long gay Catholics have sat in the same pews with other faithful Catholics wondering how those fellow Catholics could sit there and listen to bishops and clergy scape goat and vilify gays. How could these Catholics deal with hearing these things about their children, or their brothers, or sisters, or an aunt or an uncle--or in many cases their parents. When would the deafening and cowed silence start to become a disgruntled growl. It's starting in Maine. It's starting in the pro life movement. It's starting in the health care debate.
When that growl reaches the crescendo of a roar, the squeaky wheels will not only not be heard, they will have been left by the side of the road.
