More on Canadian Gay Activist Ex-Altar Server

Back on July 9, we blogged about Jim Corcoran, the openly gay Canadian man dismissed from his position as altar server at St. Michaels Church in Coburg, Ontario. Mr. Corcoran therepon brought a case to one of Canada's notorious Human Rights Inquisitions. He's suing twelve parishioners, plus his Bishop.

The story is getting some interest in Canada. In today's National Post, Michael Coren writes:

"The man in question, spa-owner Jim Corcoran, claims that while he is homosexual he is celibate and a devout Catholic who observes Church teaching. Not, it seems, so devout and so observant of Church teaching that he is prepared to accept with Catholic humility and self-control the decision of that very Church to terminate an entirely voluntary (if important) position. Instead, he has appealed to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, a secular body that has habitually ruled against individual Christians and, some would argue, is in direct conflict with Roman Catholic teaching and pursues a pugnaciously anti-Catholic agenda. These are hardly the actions of a faithful Catholic in good standing, which leads one to wonder if there is more to this story — and to Mr. Corcoran.

Any serious Catholic knows of people who faithfully attend Mass but cannot receive Communion, let alone be an altar server, because they are waiting for an annulment or face some other obstacle. Nonetheless, they accept Church teaching; they love and follow the Church. For Mr. Corcoran to lash out at the Church because it refuses to bend to his will indicates, at best, a somewhat weak faith, and, perhaps, utter hypocrisy. "

That sounds about right to us.

We post, as we have many times, "Redemptionis Sacramentum" #46:

"The lay Christian faithful called to give assistance at liturgical celebrations should be well instructed and must be those whose Christian life, morals and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium recommend them."

The July 16 Peterborough, Ontario Examiner covered the story, too. In addition to $20,000 from each of the parishioners and $25,000 from the diocese, Corcoran also wants:

"the bishop to restore his role as a server, to apologize and to preach a sermon at St. Michael's on the consequences of discrimination and spreading rumours, hate and innuendo. "

Gee, anything else, Mr. Cocoran?

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Here in San Francisco, we are used to these tactics. Back on June 7, in the post "San Francisco Versus the Church" we wrote:

"Since our Church cannot change its teaching on this issue, the activists--in conjunction with likeminded persons both inside and outside the Church--will try to intimidate the Church from without and undermine it from within."

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney