NEW YORK
National Catholic Reporter
Mary E. Hunt | May. 14, 2013
VIEWPOINT Courage is an old-fashioned virtue that comes in many forms: physical, social and political. I have paid attention to it of late — both its absence and presence — in the hope that highlighting courage will make it multiply. A dose of courage would go a long way toward solving many ecclesial and civil problems.
Same-sex love is increasingly seen as part of human diversity, but ugly incidents continue to remind us that courage is still needed to love freely. Nicholas Coppola had been an active parish volunteer at St. Anthony’s Parish in Oceanside, N.Y. He visited the sick, taught, raised money, acted as a lector, even served at the altar as an out gay man. Then someone anonymously reported to the local bishop that Coppola had married his partner.
This prompted an auxiliary bishop to inform the pastor, a Jesuit, that “it would be of concern” if someone teaching in a Catholic parish were known to be married in a same-sex union. Fair enough — congratulations are in order for the happy couple — but that was not what he meant. The pastor, claiming no options, relieved Coppola of his volunteer duties. Tens of thousands of people signed petitions in support of this generous man who only wanted to serve. Oddly, the bishop of the diocese of Rockville Centre mailed the signatures back without explanation.
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