Catholic Exorcism Planned to Rid Illinois of Abusive Priests. Correction. Same-Sex Marriage Advocates
By Barry Duke
NO news is good news, so we assume that Illinois still exists, and has not been destroyed amidst roiling black clouds, fire pouring down from the heavens and people spewing pea soup – despite an exorcism that was due to take place today to protest the state’s approval of gay marriage. I can find no reports that the exorcism by the Church’s Head Ju-Ju man in that neck of the woods actually took place. Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Springfield diocese may well have changed his mind, given the outpourings of scorn that followed his announcement last week that he would offer prayers: Of exorcism in reparation for the sin of same-sex marriage. Paprocki is no stranger to confronting The Forces of Evil. In October Frankie’s Capped Crusader single-handedly prevented a: Blasphemous, scandalous, and sacrilegious recitation of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Rainbow Sash Movement within the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception before the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. According to this report: In a culture where the concept of exorcism is primarily shaped by a 1970s horror film, the announcement stirred confusion and discomfort, which Paprocki has declined to resolve. Even the Chicago Archdiocese’s designated exorcist declined to answer questions about the public rite that is more often private. In fact, some Catholics believe the ritual could cast off more Catholics than demons. Yesterday, 14,000 petitioners called on the bishop to cancel the event. The petition, circulated by a Washington-based group called Faithful America, called on Paprocki to cancel the “political stunt.” Holding an exorcism in response to the enactment of marriage equality is no way to show Christ’s love to the world It’s unclear if Paprocki intended exorcising the law, the state, the diocese or the legislature. But Kathie Sass, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Springfield, said the church performs “minor exorcisms” regularly. When babies are baptised, priests and deacons ask parents to renounce Satan and all his works. When new Catholics are received into the Church on the eve of Easter, they are asked to do the same. These prayers that the bishop is using are from the rite of exorcism, but they are specifically designed to pray for the limitation of the work of the devil and the work of evil in the world. She added: This is not a Hollywood version. Meanwhile, news in from Pennsylvania is that a pastor in Seattle has described his church – the United Methodist Church – as: Wrong, stupid, and evil on its stand on homosexuality. Pastor Sandy Brown, who performs same sex marriages at the oldest church in Seattle, was reacting to the punishment meted out to fellow pro-gay pastor Frank Schaefer, of the Zion United Methodist Church of Iona in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. On Monday, 13 Methodist pastors found Schaefer guilty of: Conducting a ceremony that celebrates same-sex unions and disobedience to order and discipline of the Methodist Church He had committed the “crime” of participating in his son’s gay wedding. Schaefer was suspended for 30 days and will have his credentials revoked if he does not agree with the church’s stand on marriage by the end of his suspension. Brown said: The United Methodist Church is wrong, stupid, and evil on its stand on homosexuality. Everybody deserves to be a recipient of the ministry of the church. The most important thing is same-sex couples are being ministered to. That’s much more important than an individual’s ordination. So, Brown says that the upcoming same-sex ceremonies at his church will go forward as planned. Many clergy, just like me, have decided to take that risk anyway in favor of ministering to the people in our church. Three cheers for that pastor. Oh, and one wall in my spare bedroom is sandy brown. Just sayin ….
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