Fr. Reese is not telling the truth

On July 29 the National Catholic Reporter published a column by Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese. Fr. Reese begins by discussing his experience last week celebrating Mass in San Francisco. In his second paragraph he writes: "Oh, yes, did I mention that the pastor who said something nice about homosexuals last month was raked over the coals in the blogosphere and reported to the archbishop?"


There is considerably more to it than that. Since Fr. Reese was discussing the homily he preached last Sunday at San Francisco's St. Ignatius Church it is reasonable to assume that the priest he is referring to is Fr. Greg Bonfiglio, SJ, the pastor of St. Ignatius. As we reported, on Sunday, June 30 (San Francisco's "Gay Pride" Sunday) Fr. Bonfiglio chose to read a long (1,098 words) letter at Mass which was written by the pastor of Seattle's St. James Church and published in that church's parish bulletin. In the letter the pastor discussed his participation in Seattle's "Gay Pride" parade. The same bulletin also encouraged parishioners to attend the parade.

"Gay Pride" parades are celebrations of homosexuality, and of course of homosexual acts. The "Gay Pride" parade which does not celebrate homosexual acts does not exist. Encouraging parishioners to attend a celebration of homosexuality--whether in a parish bulletin or at Mass--amounts to much more than "saying something nice about homosexuals."

Elsewhere in the article, Fr. Reese treats the Holy Father's recent statement on the "gay lobby" with the same level of honesty.