A long time ago we here at the
office learned how important it is to check our in-boxes daily for emails, for
we receive many. A significant amount of
email we receive, like most of us, tends to come under the category of spam.
Towards the end of January 2014
the office took note of a number of emails coming to us with written in the
subject line, “Shameful Behavior,” “Meanness,” “Discipline Yourselves,” and
several others with headings that one should not quote in the public forum.
The common objective of these
emails was to take the Evangelical Catholic Church and our Bishops to task for
our advocating that any gender common couples seeking marriage “should be
disciplined like a child.”
After reviewing about 30 of these
emails, I choose seven of the most angry and emotional emails and replied to
them asking why the Evangelical Catholic Church was receiving such emails. From the four who responded, I leaned that
their indignation had been ignited by recent comments of Bishop Thomas Paprocki,
Roman Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of Springfield Illinois, during a recent radio
interview defending his obsession and opposition to equal rights for LGTB
citizens.
Bishop Paprocki, one may
remember, gained national notoriety in 2013 when he conducted an exorcism
service on the day the Illinois Marriage Equality Bill was signed into
law. In attempting to justify his
actions, Bishop Paprocki said he wasn’t being hateful — he was performing a
“loving” act of discipline, like a parent correcting a child. And he has
reiterated his belief same-sex marriage is “the work of the devil.”
Since the signing of the Marriage
Equality Bill, Bishop Paprocki has remained obsessed in his opposition to
Marriage Equality. In a recent video
interview with LifeSite News, Bishop Paprocki stated that “Any good parent will tell you that sometimes you have to
discipline your children,” and also adding that "Sometimes you have to say
‘no,’" and "Sometimes you even have to punish.”
In
his concluding remarks on LifeSite, Bishop Paprocki said “When
a parent does those things, they’re not being hateful towards their children;
they’re actually being very loving by correcting them and showing them the
right way to do things.”
Upon
realizing the genesis of the angry emails sent to us, our office responded with
a clarifying disclaimer stating that the words and pastoral positions of Bishop
Paprocki on marriage equality does not reflect the ecclesiology and pastoral
theology of the Evangelical Catholic Church.
I
fully understand the hurt expressed in these emails sent to the Evangelical Catholic
Church. I understand the fact that these
are good people who are hurting as a result of their systematic marginalization
by their Catholic jurisdiction and have incorrectly assumed that all Catholic
jurisdictions shares Bishop Paprocki’s words, actions and attitudes tells me
that much works needs to continue in order to education the general public of
the fact that there does exist more than ONE Catholic jurisdiction in the
world.
Let
me emphasize my recognition and compliments to Bishop Paprocki for being a
loyal member and bishop to the Catholic Church of Rome. There is in my mind no doubt that Thomas
Paprocki embraces and supports the theological and ecclesial disciplines of his
Catholic jurisdiction.
Today
most of the Catholic Jurisdiction shares common views on many theological and
ecclesial matters. With regards to
matters of equal rights and human rights, the Catholic Church of Rome and the
Evangelical Catholic Church embraces opposing secular and theological
views. I am also prepared to state that
when it comes to “disciplining” the laity which God has called us to serve, the
views expressed by my brother Thomas and the pastoral theology of the
Evangelical Catholic Church could not be more diverse.
I
believe that the common liturgical, sacramental, ecclesial, spiritual and
theological “disciplines” shared and celebrated by the various Catholic
jurisdictions are those things which draw us together as communities of faith
to deepen our intimacy and love of and with God. These disciplines should appeal to the heart
and spirituality of people and invite them unconditionally to become part of a
jurisdiction and not be viewed as flypaper in disguise.
Scripture
continues to teach us that in the calling of the Twelve, Jesus extends to His
chosen the simple, yet profound invitation to “Come, follow me.” Jesus made his invitation unconditional and
without putting anyone under any form of duress.
The
words and model of Church being used by my brother Thomas are top heavy with
duress and absolutism – a model the theocratic rule to which all persons
(Catholic or not) must submit.
Thomas’
words and model of Church being expressed reminds me of a scene from the movie
“Roots,” in which the slave Kunta Kinke is being whipped because of his refusal
to accept his slave name of Toby. Jesus
invites us to follow him based on unconditional love, not via submission from
torture.
I
have always used the image of Catholicism as a tree with many branches sharing
the same trunk and roots. I also believe
that each of the Catholic jurisdictions much equally share in the many historic
episodes of torture and pain inflicted upon those deemed in need of
“discipline” by Holy Mother Church. The
blood of so many from ages past which continues to stains our hands most not be
further stained by the emotional and spiritual blood of the marginalized of
those of this generation.
While
I must acknowledge Bishop Paprocki’s rights to advocate his strongest
objections to marriage equality or any other secular matter which he feels
threatens the Roman position of the Sacrament of Marriage, such as the secular
right to divorce or the right to secure a prescription for birth control. Maybe these are demographics which Thomas
cannot financially afford to upset.
For
myself, I simply wish to not have my Catholic jurisdiction clubbed over the
head because of Thomas’ obsession.
