Bishop is Catholic: Gay "Catholics" Appalled!

That'd be Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento.

His Excellency was invited to keynote at the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries conference in Long Beach on Sept. 18. According to California Catholic Daily, two Catholics who decided to attend the conference were happy to hear the Bishop “'courageously but gently' gave a clear presentation of Church teaching on sexuality."

Included in His Excellency's fine speech was a discussion of Proposition 8:

"What is a particular concern and alarm for us in California as well as others across the country is the bold judicial challenge to the longstanding cultural and moral understanding of marriage as a sacred covenant between a woman and a man. Our own efforts to restore common sense through the ballot initiative, Proposition 8, are portrayed as bigoted and out-of-touch. The irony is that what we propose is most in touch with the nature of families and what is good for the welfare of all.

That we find ourselves at this time, reasserting the basic moral and reasonable understanding of marriage, means that much has changed in the popular perceptions of sexuality and common notions about marriage. While we work to pass Proposition 8 this coming November, it is important to remember why we do this. Like Jesus, in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew that I cited, we are saying a strong “no” to the California courts and to many who support the court’s wrong-headed decision. This “no” is not rooted in bigotry or bias. It is firmly rooted in a greater “yes” to a truer, more authentic appreciation of love’s calling and love’s design for the human heart. "

Others at the conference were not so happy, however: according to the article at least five people walked out during the Bishop's speech, and:

"While the audience members were responding to the bishop’s remarks, a board member of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries came up to one of the tables in the room and said, "On behalf of the board, I apologize. We had no idea Bishop Soto was going to say what he said."

I wonder what they thought he was going to say?

A full transcript of His Excellency's speech is here.