cat got your tongue?
By Diogenes ( articles ) | Nov 22, 2006
The egregious Raymond Gravel is still in the running for the Canadian Parliament. His ordinary, Bishop Gilles Lussier, is playing possum.
A controversial priest running for the Bloc Quebecois in a byelection says he will abstain from voting in the Commons on social issues that clash with Roman Catholic ideology.
Unlike the church, Rev. Raymond Gravel favours same-sex marriage and opposes the recriminalization of abortion. The 53-year-old priest, who is seeking election in the Montreal-area riding of Repentigny next Monday, said reopening the divisive gay marriage debate would be pointless.
"If the question was directly asked: 'Are you for or against same-sex marriage,' as a Catholic priest I would simply abstain," he told a news conference as he campaigned with Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe on Monday.
If, instead of running for parliament, Fr. Gravel had opened a retail business selling sidearms and assault rifles ("Target-fun for the whole family!"), is it likely his bishop would long remain silent on the sidelines?
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Posted by: Hal -
Aug. 25, 2010 10:36 AM ET USA
Unfortunately, The Tennessean has used this opportunity to print an endless series of editorial and Letters to the Editor from every dissident Catholic in the diocese, it seems. Some credit to Bishop Choby for finally finding his spine, but where has he been these past years in tolerating this BS which has been pretty much open and notorious?
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Posted by: -
Aug. 24, 2010 5:43 PM ET USA
Shouldn't a priest's "private concerns" be that of the Church's teachings?
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Posted by: -
Aug. 24, 2010 10:48 AM ET USA
Father Joe Pat Breen has his own peanut gallery of fans who espouse the same rather heterodox views as himself and are supportive of the good apostate in his many years of injuring his flock during his tenure as pastor. It doesn't therefore surprise me that His Excellency would prefer to have Father Joe Pat go gently into that good night rather than stir up the murky waters of the swamp.
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Posted by: -
Aug. 23, 2010 11:25 PM ET USA
Could you imagine this end of life voice to one of his failed penitents?: "Yours has been an effective penance, sadly marred by damnation."
