Catholic funeral ban for people in same-sex marriage

Jo Siedlecka
Jun 27th, 2017 (Updated Oct 10th, 2018)

Bishop Thomas Paprocki

An American bishop has released guidelines to parishes forbidding individuals in same-sex marriages from receiving Communion and barring them from having a church funeral.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield Illinois, said people in same-gender marriages should neither seek to receive nor be admitted to Holy Communion because their relationships are of an "objectively immoral nature."

On the issue of funerals he writes: "Unless they have given some signs of repentance before their death, deceased persons who had lived openly in a same-sex marriage giving public scandal to the faithful are to be deprived of ecclesiastical funeral rites. In case of doubt, the proper pastor or parochial administrator is to consult the local ordinary [bishop], whose judgment is to be followed."

Last year Bishop Thomas Paprocki criticised Chicago's Archbishop Blase Cupich for suggesting that reception of Communion is to be determined by each person according to their conscience.

The news of Bishop Paprocki's guidelines has been met with grave concern by community leaders and theologians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Robert Shine, commenting in the US-based New Ways Catholic Ministry blog writes: "It is discrimination to target LGBT people when, in a certain sense, all Catholics could be deemed "manifest sinners." Who among us, including Bishop Paprocki, does not publicly sin at different moments? Yet, funeral rites are not denied to Catholics who pay employees an unjust wage, publicly advocate for the death penalty, or deny climate change. It is cruel to suggest that people who have, by the dictates of their conscience, entered into same-gender marriages should uniformly be equated with apostates and heretics.

"Secondly, threatening Catholic pastoral workers with a 'just penalty' is improper for someone who is to be a loving shepherd for the diocese. It borders on spiritual abuse to tell pastoral ministers and LGBT Catholics that, should they adhere to a most fundamental church teaching and follow their properly formed consciences, they could be punished by ecclesiastical authorities.

"In a moment when a growing number of church leaders, led by Pope Francis, are opening doors to LGBT people and their families, it is tragic that Bishop Paprocki has chosen to act so harmfully. Despite his claims, it is the Decree itself which is the real scandal in this incident."

Vincent Manning of the UK-based Catholics for AIDS Prevention and Support said: "In addition to displaying extraordinary prejudice, it will be obvious to many Christians that Bishop Paprocki's directive, lacks Christian charity, not least regarding the denial of funeral rites on the basis that a person had caused scandal while they were alive. Jesus spent much of his time in the company of 'public sinners'. Jesus caused scandal. His harsher judgements were always reserved for the 'respectable' and self-righteous. He had strong words for those who prioritised law over compassion, those more concerned to exclude rather than include. The Bishop cites Jesus as our "everlasting model for ministry". But this decree betrays a legalism that does not follow the example of Jesus. It will do nothing to reveal Christ to those who need Him or seek Him."

Martin Pendergast from the Farm Street Church LGBT Community in London said: "This exemplifies the 'culture wars' that are still being played out within the US Catholic hierarchy. A number of bishops are locked into the realm of ideas rather than really responding to the reality of peoples' lives which Pope Francis keeps urging ALL of us to do. Thankfully, the Bishops of England & Wales, apart from one or two exceptions, have taken more pragmatic approaches, rooted in the still-effective 1979 Introduction to the Pastoral Care of Homosexual People, and the late Cardinal Hume's 1997 Note on Catholic Church Teaching on these matters. Civil partnerships are not a block to employment in Catholic organisations and LGBT people are accepted in various forms of lay-ministry precisely for the gifts they offer in building up the the People of God. LGBT Catholics, parents and families are not the stumbling blocks here, rather it is ideological bishops such as Bishop Paprocki who are the real cause for scandal."

Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ, who teaches theology at Heythrop College in London told ICN: "In Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis writes, 'The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open. One concrete sign of such openness is that our church doors should always be open, so that if someone, moved by the Spirit, comes there looking for God, he or she will not find a closed door. There are other doors that should not be closed either. Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community, nor should the doors of the sacraments be closed for simply any reason […] Frequently, we act as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators. But the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems'.

"These words provide us with clear guidelines regarding the mercy and compassion we should offer to all our fellow sinners in any pastoral situation, especially at the time of death. I hope that we can all work to build a scandalously merciful church rather than setting ourselves up as harsh judges of those whose judgement lies in God's hands alone."

Read the New Ways blog here: https://newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/bishop-pastors-must-deny-funerals-to-catholics-in-same-gender-marriages/