Paue 4 HIGH GEAR

A disturbed peace

Catholic gays worse than neglected

By Brian McNaught Now that cult leader Chuck Dederich has been arrested, it would seem we could comment on Synanon without fearing surprise packages in our mailboxes. Not necessarily so with the Roman Catholic Church. While Cardinal Humberto Medeiros would undoubtedly be shocked at such a comparison he is, nevertheless, guilty of a similarly irrational response to criticism. For suggesting one too many times that God loves gay people, long-time friend and supporter of sexual minorities, Fr. Paul Shanley, discovered, to his surprise, a letter from the Boston chancery "inviting" him to a meeting with the Cardinal. At that subsequent meeting, Cardinal Medeiros "relieved" Fr. Shanley of his ministry to gay people.

Personally, I am outraged. I am not shocked because I am wellaware of how autocratic and cowardly the hierarchy of my Church can be. The examples are legion. But I do grow weary of attempting to enkindle hope in the hearts of other gay Christians who continue to anguish over the dry breast they are continually

offered. Cardinal Medeiros has made a stupid mistake for which he must be held accountable. Despite or because of my 16 years of parochial education and four year stay with a Catholic newspaper, I am one of the more anti-clerical persons who still considers himself "Catholic". Paul Shanley is one of the few persons who make it impossible for me to make sweeping generalizations about the clergy. He is not pompous, patronizing, sexist, protected or authoritative. He is genuinely holy, open, sincere, humble, on the line and selfless. Were there more priests like Paul Shanley, male or female, the Roman Catholic Church wouldn't have fifty per cent of its membership alienated.

Paul first became famous during Cardinal Cushing's reign in Boston. During the time when thousands of flower children were swarming Boston, making it the Coast Mecca for runaways, Paul began working on the streets during the day and late into the night. He figured that the most alienated people in the country were runaways and that

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his calling as priest was to be with the alienated and meet their needs as he imagined Jesus would. That meant finding food and shelter and listening to stories of home. Paul's style was not to show up in Roman collar. It didn't matter that the kids knew he was a priest. What mattered was that they knew someone cared.

Before long, Paul Shanley became nationally-known as a "street priest" who was "street wise" and subsequently a major link between young people and those who wanted to understand them, their problems, the drug culture, anti-war sentiment and whatever else was an issue in the 60s. When the sexual revolution hit, the young people began talking openly about their sexuality and it wasn't long before Paul Shanley started speaking to audiences about homosexuality, transvestism, transsexualism and ambisexuality.

When Cardinal Medeiros took the reins of the Boston Archdiocese, he inherited the famous street priest and the expected complaints from conservatives about his activities. Those with influence tried to use it with the Cardinal to "get that priest off the streets." These are the folks who insisted that their kids wouldn't run to Boston if there wasn't a priest there to help them; that their kids wouldn't take drugs if a priest didn't try to understand them; that their children wouldn't be gay if a priest wasn't telling them that God loves gay people too.

Cardinal Medeiros never pub-. licized his approval of Paul Shanley as a Minister to sexual minorities, but whenever a group of gay people requested a meeting with the Cardinal he would send them to his "representative", Fr. Shanley. Like all priests in the diocese who are not associated with a parish, Paul received the basic housing allowance and salary. As an "official" spokesperson, he enabled those Catholics who wanted to know more about homosexuality but could only hear it from a priest to eliminate a lot of fear and misunderstanding. He was a link to those gay Catholics who wanted to believe their Church cared about them. More than once I received a frantic call from a gay person who had to talk to a priest. Paul was always there.

I don't know what Paul Shanley's future is. Paul is working on that now. There is some question as to whether any parish will find him "acceptable." Paul hopes that something good will come from this experience. I do too. At the very least, I hope it will be

vote in favor of a referendum which protected the rights of gay people, Paul flew out to Kansas to be with the gay folks there. His presence enabled some Catholics to vote in conscience with gay people. The Bishop won his battle but nonetheless was angered by the presence of an "out-of-seen as an opportunity by gay town" priest who dared to defy persons and their friends to make his authority as teacher. Bishop it very clear that no individual, Maloney called Cardinal Medeiregardless of rank or affiliation, ros and complained. Paul Shanwill be allowed to make decisions ley was soon called in for a affecting our lives without facing meeting. a deafening protest. Though the Catholic Church is not a Democratic institution, its leaders must be made aware that one way or another they are accountable for their actions.

This was not the first meeting Paul had with Cardinal Medeiros. There had been others. At each the Cardinal would accuse Paul of false teaching and at each Paul would explain that he was saying nothing which had not been taught by either the Vatican or theologians of the Church.

The latest meeting was over an educational cassette Paul did with Richard Lovelace, the conservative Presbyterian who led the battle against the ordination of gays in his Church. The Cardinal never heard the tape but had received three complaints. It was during this meeting that the Cardinal told Paul he could no longer work in a ministry to gay people.

One of the most alarming aspects of this story is our and Paul's lack of recourse. Bishops never apologize and rarely change their mind. They think it shows weakness or perhaps inability to understand guidance of the Spirit on the first try. There is a sort of court system in the Church called "Due Process", in which a Catholic can attempt to

settle a difference with another

Catholic but the final voice in the

I hope that people who are outraged by the action of the Cardinal will write him and tell him so. His address is 2121 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton, MA 02135.

I also hope that people who are supportive of Paul Shanley will write and tell him so. Paul's address is 49 Milton Street, Milton MA 02186.

Most importantly, I hope that no one presumes this is a Catholic issue. Paul Shanley never asked a person if he or she was Catholic or from Boston

before he reached out.

There are times when my Church makes me wish that all I had to deal with was a silent rattlesnake in my mailbox.

Do Business with the

Gay

system is that of the Cardinal Community

Clearly, it is unwise to make the. Cardinal the defendant.

Mager to chair

Detroit committee

DETROIT, MI For thirty years,the Coordinating Council On Human Relations in Detroit-a coalition of over 100 community and service organizations concerned with civil rights issues--has hosted an annual banquet to celebrate International Human Rights Day early in December. Detroit is one of the few American cities to make such a celebration a traditional event. At the February 7, 1979, Execuissued a statement to every partive Board meeting of CCHR, the ish which forbids Catholics to committee to plan the 1979 ban-

When the Bishop of Wichita said he would rather go to jail than hire a homosexual and later

quet was appointed. Don Mager, delegate from the Michigan Organization For Human Rights (MOHR)--the statewide gay rights coalition organization-was appointed to chair the banquet committee.

The appointment is viewed as further evidence that in Detroit, gay leadership has moved into the mainstream of community projects and has won recognition and support from other community groups with similar human rights goals.

Hershkoff & Holland Attorneys and Counselors at Law

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