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Vatican Intervenes in Minneapolis Catholic "Gay Pride" Parish

MINNEAPOLIS, October 28, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Catholic parish in Minneapolis Minnesota has been ordered by the Archdiocese and the Vatican to remove Gay Pride material from its website and cease inviting non-Catholic speakers to Masses.

St. Joan of Arc pastor, Rev. George Wertin, said that the Gay Pride pages would be removed from the parish’s website but, although the references to the parade have been removed, the parish’s ‘Gay and Lesbian’ ministry page still remains active.

For many years, local Catholics have complained to diocesan officials about activities at St. Joan of Arc, but it was complaints sent to Rome that finally forced the diocese to act. Two items in particular were mentioned - an article on “inclusivity of gay and lesbian parishioners” and an article about parish participation in the local Gay Pride parade.

Direct intervention in the activities of individual parishes by Vatican officials is extremely rare in the Catholic Church. The Archdiocese’s statement said, “The Archdiocese welcomes gay and lesbian worshippers who are in full communion with the moral teachings of the Church as they apply to all Catholics. It does not, however, endorse the promotion of sexual relations among unmarried persons.”

Archbishop Flynn has come under criticism for his handling of a Catholic organization based in his diocese, Catholic Parents Online, which has for years petitioned him to respond to theological dissent in his diocese. Recently, Flynn responded angrily to letters from the group saying, “From now on I am sending to you all the letters which assault my office because of communications which you have made.”

In 2003, the Catholic Parents wrote to Archbishop Flynn warning him that he was about to present an award to a homosexual activist employed by St. Joan of Arc as Religious Education Director. Kathy Itzin is a homosexual activist who runs an organization called “Rainbow Families” which is devoted to legitimizing homosexuality and which sends speakers into schools to promote the homosexual lifestyle. Although the award and invitation were rescinded, Itzin is still employed by the parish as Religious Education Director.

The St. Joan website features a page for the parish’s “Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities,” a site which promotes the homosexual lifestyle and anti-Catholic agenda. The page includes “A Resource Guide to Coming Out” in three languages.

Minneapolis Star Tribune coverage:
http://www.startribune.com/stories/614/5056033.html

Catholic Parents Online:
http://www.catholicparents.org/

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