The following is the full text of the apology
of Archbishop George Niederauer for
giving Communion on October 7 to two homosexual men dressed as nuns -
members of the “Sisters of Indulgence” - at Most Holy Redeemer Parish. This
apology, which was posted online October 12, will be published October 19 in
the Catholic San Francisco.
We reproduce the apology, followed by comments of our friend Gary Morella, who
had the courtesy to send them to us.
Niederauer Apology
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Statement released Oct. 11 by Archdiocese of
San Francisco regarding archbishop giving communion to two "Sisters of
Perpetual Indulgence"
Below is Archbishop George H. Niederauer's column for the Oct. 19 issue of Catholic
San Francisco, the archdiocesan newspaper that is mailed to 85,000
households. This statement was provided to California Catholic Daily
by Maurice E. Healy, director of archdiocesan communications.
A recent event that greatly concerns me needs some additional explanation -
and with it an apology.
On Sunday, October 7, 2007, I celebrated Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Parish
here in San Francisco, during my first visit there. The congregation was
devout and the liturgy was celebrated with reverence. I noticed no
demonstration, no protest, no disruption of the Eucharist.
At Communion time, toward the end of the line, two strangely dressed persons
came to receive Communion. As I recall one of them wore a large flowered hat
or garland. I did not recognize either of them as wearing mock religious
garb.
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Niederauer gives communion to men dressed as a "Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence." For more, click
here
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Afterward it was made clear to me that these two people
were members of the organization "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,"
who have long made a practice of mocking the Catholic Church in general and
religious women in particular. My predecessors, Cardinal William Levada and
Archbishop John Quinn, have both denounced this group's abuse of sacred
things many times in the past. Only last year, I instructed the Administrator
of Most Holy Redeemer Parish to cancel the group's use of the hall on the
parish grounds, once I became aware of it.
In the year and a half since I arrived in San Francisco, there have been
several instances of offensive attacks on Catholic faith and devotional life.
Only two weeks ago Catholic San Francisco carried my remarks condemning the
derisive use of the image of the Last Supper on a poster printed by another
local group.
Although I had often seen photographs of members of the Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence, I had never encountered them in person until October 7th. I did
not recognize who these people were when they approached me.
After the event, I realized that they were members of this particular
organization and that giving them Holy Communion had been a mistake.
I apologize to the Catholics of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and to
Catholics at large for doing so.
The manner of dress and public comportment of the Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence is deeply offensive to women religious and to the witness of
holiness and Christian service that women religious have offered to the
Church and to the world for centuries. The citizens of San Francisco have
ample reason to be grateful to women religious for their unfailing support of
those most in need, and to be deeply offended when that service is belittled
so outrageously and offensively.
Someone who dresses in a mock religious habit to attend Mass does so to make
a point. If people dress in a manner clearly intended to mock what we hold
sacred, they place themselves in an objective situation in which it is not
appropriate for them to receive Holy Communion, much less for a minister of
the Church to give the Sacrament to them. Therefore I conclude that the
presence of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at the Mass on October 7th was
intended as a provocative gesture. In that moment I failed to recognize it as
such, and for that, as I have said, I must apologize.
Morella’s criticism
Does the Archbishop of San Francisco believe that we Catholics were all born
yesterday in regard to his incredible statement of apology, which is
laughable?
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The Archbishop claims not to have noticed any mock religious garb...
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The REAL apology that is owed by Niederauer is for not
being a good shepherd to his flock by saying nothing to them whatsoever in
regard to the abomination that is Most Holy Redeemer Church's blatant
public promotion of sodomitic lifestyles.
The REAL apology that is owed by Niederauer is for seeing nothing
wrong with sodomite adoption!
The REAL apology that is owed by Niederaruer is for not publicly condemning,
in the strongest terms possible, the filth of the sodomitic Folsom and Castro
street fairs, and the promotion of sodomitic lifestyles at the state, county,
and city levels, to particularly include San Francisco, with an attitude of
"To heck with the children” in his Archdiocese, in complete disregard of
Matthew 18:6 [But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that
believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about
his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea].
You may think that you are fooling people, Archbishop Niederauer, with your
worthless apology. If you do, you are delusional. Long suffering Catholics
have caught on to your act and those of your ilk in California. You have done
nothing to rein in Catholic frauds, in particular your Mayor, who is
absolutely giddy at the prospect of putting as many of his constituents as
possible on the fast track to Hell with him by advocating oxymoronic sodomite
marriage!
The REAL apology that is owed by the Archbishop of San Francisco is for NOT
BEING A CATHOLIC!
And finally, the ultimate REAL apology is owed by Rome to Catholics worldwide
in giving us wolves in sheep’s clothing masquerading as Bishops who could not
care less about the eternity of the souls entrusted to them!
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