Priest Ordered to Stop Protests in Mass.

[kskiska]

BOSTON -- The Archdiocese of Boston has ordered a priest to stop demonstrations outside the home of the state Senate president, protests the priest said were necessary because of the politician's support of embryonic stem cell research.

The Rev. Thomas DiLorenzo and several parishioners recently spent several days demonstrating outside Sen. Robert E. Travaglini's duplex, singing hymns, carrying rosary beads and displaying signs with slogans such as "Stop Playing God" and "This is all about money."

DiLorenzo said he was told to stay away after he wrote Travaglini a letter that mentioned one of the Democratic senator's children. The priest said he did not consider his letter threatening, but church officials told him the senator's wife took the letter to police.

more…
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-brf-protest-priest,0,4230492.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[NNN0LHI]

1. The fundies are out in full force n/t

[saigon68]

11. Fundy NUT -JOBS protest earth being round

That sucker is flat don't cha know !!!!

[wakeme2008]

2. These people are NUTS

:(

[Malva Zebrina]

3. Next? the Pope will write a letter denying any sacrament to anyone who

supports Traviglini. That oughta do it for all others who are suffering, ill and weakened members of the society. Very moral of the priest to protest the denial of scientific discovery to anyone who is suffering in favor of forcing women into a pregnancy.:sarcasm: The first requires a moral outlook that is absent from this priest's portfolio, the latter requires a belief that male priests have control over a woman's body and seek to do so out of fear of women and the desire to subjugate another human being to their will. Very moral :sarcasm:

[Coastie for Truth]

4. Stem Cell Research Protests?

"The Archdiocese of Boston has ordered a priest to stop demonstrations outside the home of the state Senate president, protests the priest said were necessary because of the politician's support of embryonic stem cell research.

Very simply - equating "stem cell research" to "abortion" is a stretched, slippery slope, of Scriptural interpretation (or mis-interpretation). My faith permits - and even encourages - "stem cell research" as steps to a life saving measure for lives in being.

Therefore, imposing another faith on me, a faith that has specific doctrines contrary to the specific doctrines of my faith, is a clearly UNconstitutional "law respecting an establishment of religion" and equally clearly denies me my constitutionally protected right of freedom from any laws "prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

Of course, very illiberally or non-liberally, the ultimate guarantor from a "law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" is in the Second Amendment "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Since I am a diabetic, I do have "a dog in this fight." And since I belong to a minority religion, I have a second "dog in this fight."


I thank Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley for his bravery, and suggest that Father Thomas DiLorenzo take his butt back to Boston College, and learn some comparative theology and Old Testament scholarship.

[davidinalameda]

5. but if it wasn't for the letter

and the bad publicity, I doubt the bishop would have told this nutcase to stop

[LostinVA]

6. WHERE are all of the socially enlightened priests from

My childhood? Seriously? WHERE. DUers who are still Catholic: are they still out there? I know there are Sisters that are, but priests? Or are they all like this guy and that freako in the SChiavo circus?

[Bridget Burke]

9. Sounds like some of them work for the Archdiocese.

The priest was ordered by superiors to STOP the protest. The Archdiocese office are, in fact, run by priests under the authority of the Archbishop.

[leftchick]

10. Yes there are a few

I have a favorite priest in my town who is a full time Psychologist and a 'fill-in' at our church. I LOVE his Homilies but they are few and far between. :(

[Demeter]

15. They Left The Church in the 70's

and are living normal, intelligent lives, or enjoying the peace of the grave.

[DanCa]

7. Okay anti stem cell people answer me this one

If you were trapped in a burning room and had a choice to save either an adult or an embryo who would you save and why? Me I would save the living thinking human being any day of the week. I cant believe that these people would rather see me drill holes in my head for DBS brain surgery than allow stem cell research. Man i am sorry but these people irk me they wont even read the legislation that were introducing that prevents human clonning let alone look thru a microscope to see what the fuss is. Let alone the cells just get thrown away irregardless of wether we have the research or not.

[Coastie for Truth]

18. There are serious differences between actual communities of faith

on "who do you save if you can only save one - the actual, walking, talking, "life in being" -- or the "potential life."

Seriously, this is a major area of disagreement.

My community of faith requires that you save "the actual, walking, talking, "life in being"" and that you sacrifice the "potential life" if necessary.

[xchrom]

8. headline ''fundy wack jobs getting wackier''

[One_Life_To_Give]

12. Free Speech?

Maybe the letter was a bit over the top. But he has a right to peaceful protest.

[Lindacooks]

13. What???

How exactly would you react if a fundie who was protesting outside your home sent a letter to you mentioning one of your children?? That isn't 'a bit over the top' - that's insane.

[One_Life_To_Give]

16. Wouldn't care for it either

But then again I don't know the content and context of the letter. Complaining about my kid throwing snowballs at him would be different than just referencing him for no reason.

[arwalden]

14. Backward. Anti-Intellectual. Regressive. Anti-Science.

[Bridget Burke]

19. Is the Archdiocese wrong to insruct this priest to stop?

Or--did they do the right thing in this instance?

I think they did.

[dhinojosa]

17. "Stop playing God?" uh, hate to break it to you but....

that's what fundy-wackos do everyday.