A Reminder of Why The Catholic Church Sucks

As if we needed one.

It still bothers me I once identified as Catholic. Let’s see what the Church has been up to.

» Last month, the Washington DC Archdiocese announced they would completely end their foster care program because of same-sex marriage. The thought of having to place homeless children with same-sex couples was just too despairing, so they just said they weren’t going to do any foster care for anybody anymore. Those values of love and service were never more evident. (Washington Post story from 2/17.)

» Further, the Washington DC Archdiocese announced they would no longer offer spousal benefits to anybody. Only those spouses who are currently enrolled are grandfathered in; no spouse will ever get new benefits from the Church in the Washington area. This is the penance straight couples will pay to avoid catering to same-sex couples. Discrimination against gays is more important than… well… anything, apparently. (Washington Post story from 3/2.)

» Just in case these other actions didn’t make it clear, an Italian cardinal set things straight by saying you can’t be Catholic and support same-sex marriage. If any politicians were to suggest otherwise, they could count on being excommunicated. It’s nice to see the Church so open to debate. (Story in The Pilot from 2/19.)

» That’s not all! You can’t be Catholic and try to be safe from AIDS, either. Bishops in the Philippines called for the firing of the Health Secretary and staff there for daring to distribute condoms to help reduce HIV infection rates! How horrid! (AP News story from 2/22.)

» Apparently, though, you can be gay without supporting same-sex marriage, which means you can be Catholic? But, you can be fired for it. Of course, it could be that it’s the prostitution part that’s wrong in regards to the current gay prostitution scandal inside the Vatican. So far, two have been dismissed for it. (New York Times story from 3/4.)

» And let’s put some icing on the cake today: you can’t go to a Catholic-run preschool if your parents are lesbians. The Colorado Archdiocese wants everyone to keep quiet, but that didn’t stop the school’s staff from speaking out anonymously about how horrid this decision is. Here’s the full story from Boulder (3/4):

For the record, this post is just about the Church, not about the people.

Do I hate all people who identify as Catholic? No. In fact, I really try hard not to hate any people.

Do I think all people who identify as Catholic are accountable for the actions of the Church that they support with their membership and tithing? Yes.

You can distinguish yourself and your beliefs from the Church all you want folks, but if you still leave a dollar in the basket at Mass, you are part of the problem. You are responsible for these actions and attitudes.