Archbishop bans Mass at symposium on Catholicism and homosexuality

Published: 2007-03-15

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis has barred a National Symposium on Catholicism and Homosexuality from celebrating the Eucharist during its March 16-18 meeting in Minneapolis. In a letter Feb. 23 to New Ways Ministry in Mount Rainier, Md., the sponsor of the symposium, Archbishop Flynn said that upon reviewing the planned program "I became concerned about some of the topics listed, and also about some of your featured speakers who are known to have publicly contested church teaching." He added, "As you well know, New Ways Ministry itself has several times been central in similar disputes." He said the plan to conclude the symposium with a Mass "makes it seem as though the symposium is a perfectly fine Catholic event. You do not have permission to celebrate the Eucharist as part of your symposium. Hopefully, that will at least minimize potential confusion and scandal," Archbishop Flynn wrote. New Ways Ministry executive director Francis DeBernardo quoted parts of Archbishop Flynn's letter in a statement March 13 and, at the request of Catholic News Service, sent CNS a copy of the letter the following day. In his statement DeBernardo said the archbishop's decision "will cause great pain to faithful Catholics who are concerned about the church's pastoral response to lesbian/gay people and their families."

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