Catholic Bishop goes hard on gays, says no communion, no funeral rites for them unless they repent

A Catholic bishop has taken the bull by the horn and taken a strong stance against gay people in the US by issuing a formal decree calling on all members of the Catholic faith to enforce the Church’s longstanding policies on the issue of homosexuality.

In the decree signed on June 12 and sent to priests, deacons, seminarians and staff in his central Illinois diocese last week, Bishop of Springfield, Thomas Paprocki sets forth a set of norms on same-sex marriage and related pastoral issues that he says are the policy of the diocese and instructed them to deny same-sex marriages, communion, last rites and funeral rites for people in same-sex union – unless they repent.
 

Jesus Christ himself affirmed the privileged place of marriage in human and Christian society by raising it to the dignity of a sacrament,stated the Bishop in his decree.

Consequently, the Church has not only the authority, but the serious obligation, to affirm its authentic teaching on marriage and to preserve and foster the sacred value of the married state…

He also stated that no member of the clergy are to participate, or in any manner be involved in a same-sex marriage ceremony or allow same-sex weddings or receptions at any Catholic facilities, “provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges” for the purpose of a gay marriage.


The bishop also decreed that people involved in homosexual relationships are not to be given Holy Communion or funeral rites without first repenting.

He also added that people in same-sex relationships are not permitted to “serve in a public liturgical ministry.”

Rev. Paprocki said that children of homosexual parents may still be baptized, go through the process of Confirmation, and attend Catholic schools.

• People in same-sex marriages “should not present themselves for Holy Communion, nor should they be admitted to Holy Communion.”
• A person in a same-sex marriage who is facing death may only receive communion after expressing “repentance for his or her sins.”
• Finally, Paprocki writes that “unless they have given some signs of repentance before their death,” people in same-sex marriages may not receive a Catholic funeral.

The decree drew strong reactions from LGBT Catholic groups, including DignityUSA.