Archbishop Tobin needs a new diversion

Because this one is getting very old and very stale.

Photo credit: Boston Globe

Archbishop Thomas J. Tobin went unhinged when marriage equality became law in Rhode Island. That was five years ago this month. He urged parishioners not to attend same-sex marriages and not to even acknowledge that a gay couple is married. In other words he was encouraging adherents to be rude to friends and family. Tobin was willing to sacrifice familial relationships to demonstrate the disapproval of gay people by the Catholic Church. That is not just discourteous. That was sick.

Over the last five years you might think that Tobin would see that gay couples have formed meaningful bonds for themselves and their children. You might think that Tobin would observe that gays are valuable members of their communities. You would be incorrect because not much has changed with Tobin:

Catholics should be very wary of events in the June LGBTQ month. It’s not a fun-filled, family-friendly celebration of respect. It promotes a lifestyle and agenda that, in the extreme, is morally offensive.

— Thomas J. Tobin (@bishoptjt) June 1, 2018

Telling his flock to be wary, Tobin is claiming that they should fear gay people which is a precise definition of homophobia. He is right about one thing. It is not a celebration of respect — at least not for Archbishop Tobin who seemingly knows very little about what respect means.

Tobin gyrates about things that he finds “morally offensive.” What I find morally offensive is Tobin attempting to marginalize a minority group by claiming that sexual orientation is a lifestyle. What I find morally offensive is the notion of an agenda. What I find morally offensive is denigrating the children of gay couples. His words do violence to them and their parents.

I get the Church's rule book but where does it say that people have to be unreasonable. If there is a common lifestyle it is among the prelates who live in luxury, partially at our expense because we all subsidize the tax-exempt Church.

Related content: