Save the Saint Patrick's Day Parade

The St. Patrick's Day Parade: No Homosexual Group Belongs In It!

“Will Everything Come to the Same End as Sodom and Gomorrah?”

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick (387-461) is undoubtedly one of the Church's greatest and most popular saints. The apostle of Ireland is known for his zeal, countless miracles, and spectacular conversions.

He is venerated not only on the Emerald Isle, of which he is the patron saint, but throughout the world and particularly in Irish stock communities, such as the notably large one in the U.S. This devotion gave rise to St. Patrick's Day Parades in his honor.

In America, the oldest and most famous of these parades is held every year in New York City, around the Saint's feast day, March 17. This New York parade has been held for over 250 years, dating back to 1762, even before our nation’s independence.

Although this parade has taken on an increasingly profane character because of a universal decline in religious fervor, it has never lost its essentially religious nature of venerating the great saint.¹

Cardinal O’Connor Resisted the homosexual Movement

In the sad times we live in, we see an ever stronger persecution against those who resist pressure from the homosexual movement. It almost seems as if every large initiative must have its approval. Without it, large corporations and political figures cut their funding or withdraw their support. To make matters worse, sometimes the event sponsor is sued in court, with resulting trouble, fines, and inevitably high legal costs.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade was not spared this pressure, so that for years now homosexual activists and their allies have been demanding to participate in this Catholic event.

In 1993, John Cardinal O’Connor, then Archbishop of New York, took a firm and courageous attitude when pressured by a homosexual group and New York Mayor David N. Dinkins to include homosexual groups in the parade.²

Refusing to bow to this pressure, the Cardinal declared that political correctness was not worth “one comma in the Apostles’ Creed.”³ He supported the parade organizers, who took the issue to court and won a favorable ruling.

On that occasion, Cardinal O’Connor also said that “Irish Catholics have been persecuted for the sole reason that they have refused to compromise Church teaching. What others may call bigotry, Irish Catholics call principle.” He added that he “could never even be perceived as compromising Catholic teaching by entertaining their admission as an identifiable group in the city’s 232nd parade up Manhattan’s showcase avenue in honor of St. Patrick.”⁴

Caving in to homosexual Pressure

After twenty years of this continuous pressure, and with a new Archbishop in New York, the parade organizers have now caved in.

In a statement issued on September 3, the Parade Committee announced the inclusion of the homosexual group OUT@NBCUniversal⁵ in the 2015 St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Parade Committee spokesman Bill O’Reilly is reported to have said that other homosexual groups are welcome to apply to join in the Parade.⁶

For his part, Committee Vice-Chairman John L. Lahey said that the decision to include groups of homosexuals was “a gesture of goodwill to the LGBT community, all the while remaining loyal to Church teachings and principles that have guided the parade committee for so many decades.”⁷

The homosexual movement understands full well the value of institutions and symbols, and how important it is to use them in pursuit of their moral revolution. This is why they have targeted the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“Remaining Loyal to Church Teachings”?

Dr. John L. Lahey's statement that parade organizers remain “loyal to Church teachings and principles” despite including a group of homosexual activists is extremely serious. Both Sacred Scripture and traditional Church teaching have always presented sodomy as a most grievous sin—the cause for God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—and one of the sins that cry out to heaven and clamor to God for justice.⁸

In the Culture War, the homosexual movement openly manifests its pride in the sin of sodomy. It is dividing the nation in its efforts to change public morality so that the sin of sodomy is accepted as normal by society at large. To include a self-identified homosexual group in a parade that purports to honor one of the greatest saints of the Church, does two things. It is both:

(a) an act that boosts the homosexual movement’s efforts to undermine Catholic morality and the natural moral law,

(b) one that offends the honor of the great Saint Patrick, who practiced the virtue of chastity to a heroic degree and is a model of sanctity for the ages.

Scandalous Words on the Lips of an Archbishop

The claim that one can remain “loyal to Church teachings and principles” while providing this enormous support to the homosexual movement is improper on the lips of any Catholic layman. To know that it was made, however, in the presence of the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, who condoned it through his silence, is all the more painful to us as faithful Catholics. Dr. Lahey’s statement was made in the press conference announcing that Cardinal Dolan would be appointed the Grand Marshal of next year's Parade.

Instead of using his influence to prevent the inclusion of homosexual activists in the parade and to correct the Committee Vice-Chairman’s doctrinal error, the Archbishop made a statement that shocked Catholics nationwide: “I think the decision they’ve made is a wise one… I have no trouble with the decision at all.”⁹

Regardless of his intentions, the Cardinal’s “wise” remark is an endorsement of the Committee’s decision and constitutes, therefore, that much more support for the homosexual movement.

Sadly, the Cardinal’s statement is not an isolated one. In March he scandalized many when asked in a TV interview about NFL hopeful Michael Sam’s recent decision to come out publicly as a homosexual. The prelate’s reaction was: “Good for him.… I would say, ‘Bravo.’”¹⁰

Taken within this context, it is hard not to see the Cardinal’s September 3rd “wise” endorsement as anything but a failure in his mission as a successor of the Apostles to safeguard the integrity of Catholic moral doctrine and guide the faithful in the practice of virtue towards salvation.

The Catholic Faithful

The Catholic Faithful Are Not Only Free to Resist but Obliged to Do So

Although it is painful when an individual Catholic is obliged to publicly resist his shepherds, he has not only the right but even the duty to do so when those shepherds are clearly at odds with Catholic orthodoxy—whether by words, gestures, actions or omissions.¹¹

This is what the Doctors of the Church and reliable theologians have maintained throughout Church history.

For example, Saint Thomas Aquinas, dealing with the fact that Saint Paul resisted Saint Peter to his face, wrote:

". . . when there is a proximate danger for the faith, prelates must be questioned even publicly by their subjects. Thus, Saint Paul, who was a subject of Saint Peter, questioned him publicly on account of an imminent danger of scandal in a matter of Faith. And, as the Gloss of Saint Augustine says, 'Saint Peter himself gives an example to those who govern, so that if the latter should ever depart from the right path, they will not refuse correction coming even from their subjects as being injurious to their dignity.'" ¹²

The illustrious exegete Cornelius a Lapide writes:

". . . superiors can be rebuked, with humility and charity, by their subjects, in order that the truth be defended, is what St. Augustine (Epist. 19), St. Cyprian, St. Gregory, St. Thomas, and the others cited above declare on the basis of this passage (Gal. 2:11). They clearly teach that St. Peter, being superior, was reprimanded by St. Paul.... Rightly, then, did St. Gregory say (Homil. 18 in Ezech.): ‘Peter held his tongue in order that, being the first in the apostolic hierarchy, he would be also the first in humility.’ And St. Augustine wrote (Epist. 19 ad Hieronymum): 'Teaching that the superiors should not refuse to let themselves be reprimanded by their subjects, St. Peter left to posterity an example more unusual and more holy than that which St. Paul left on teaching that, in defense of the truth, and with charity it is given to the juniors to have the boldness to resist their elders without fear.'"¹³

Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875), the famous Abbot of Solesmes, writing about Saint Cyril of Alexandria’s battle against the heretic Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople, warned:

"When the shepherd becomes a wolf, the first duty of the flock is to defend itself.… The true children of Holy Church at such times are those who walk by the light of their baptism, not the cowardly souls who, under the specious pretext of submission to the powers that be, delay their opposition to the enemy in the hope of receiving instructions which are neither necessary nor desirable."¹⁴

“Will everything come to the same end as Sodom and Gomorrah?”

Imploring God's mercy, Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, in writing his Fiery Prayer around 1712, exclaims: “The whole land is desolate, ungodliness reigns supreme, your sanctuary is desecrated and the abomination of desolation has even contaminated the holy place. God of Justice, God of Vengeance, will you let everything, then, go the same way? Will everything come to the same end as Sodom and Gomorrah?”¹⁵

And the Saint asks for God's urgent intervention: “All the blessed in heaven cry out for justice to be done: vindica, and the faithful on earth join in with them and cry out: amen, veni, Domine, amen, come, Lord.”

In the present situation, in which the fears of the great Marian saint seem to be turning into reality, let us implore God to have mercy on us. And, for our part, let us strive with all our strength and to the full extent of our possibilities to prevent this great calamity from coming about.

A Call to Action

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property - TFP hereby registers its vehement protest against the inclusion of an openly homosexual group and urges the Parade Committee to reverse its tragic decision and disinvite OUT@NBCUniversal.

The American TFP also respectfully urges His Eminence Cardinal Dolan to resign as Grand Marshal of the 2015 Parade. And as long as openly homosexual groups are included in the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the American TFP urges all Catholics and all Americans of good will to stay away from this traditional event since continued attendance would be a manifestation of the moral acceptance demanded by the homosexual movement, to which our conscience says: NO!

May the Blessed Mother, Seat of Wisdom, enlighten us in these terrible circumstances. And let us pray to Saint Patrick in reparation for the offense done to him by this support given to the homosexual movement and its efforts to promote sins against nature, by including an officially homosexual group in his parade.

September 12, 2014
Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
The American TFP

Taking a Principled not a Personal Stand

As practicing Catholics, we are filled with compassion and pray for those who struggle against violent temptation to sin, be it toward homosexual sin or otherwise.

We are conscious of the enormous difference between these individuals who struggle with their weaknesses and strive to overcome them and others who transform their sin into a reason for pride, and try to impose their lifestyle on society as a whole, in flagrant opposition to traditional Christian morality and natural law. However, we pray for them too.

According to the expression attributed to Saint Augustine, we "hate the sin but love the sinner." And to love the sinner, as the same Doctor of the Church explains, is to wish for him the best we can possibly desire for ourselves, namely, "that he may love God with a perfect affection." (St. Augustine, Of the Morals of the Catholic Church, no. 49, www.newadvent.org/fathers/1401.htm)

Notes:

• 1 The site of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Inc., the parade's official organizer, states: "This annual parade has been held for more than 250 years in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York." At https://www.nycstpatricksparad... accessed Sept. 10, 2014. (Our emphasis.)
• 2 Cf. George J. Marlin and Brad Miner, “The Ad Hoc Moral Theology of Cardinal Dolan” in Catholic Things, Sept. 5, 2014, at https://www.thecatholicthing.org/, last accessed Sept. 10, 2014.
• 3 Cf. Marc Santora, “Gay Groups to March in St. Patrick’s Day Parade as a Ban Falls,” in The New York Times, Sept. 3, 2014, at https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/nyregion/new-york-st-patricks-day-parade-organizers-lift-ban-on-gay-groups.html?_r=0, accessed Sept. 10, 2014.
• 4 Austin Ruse, “Cardinal Dolan Affirms ‘Confidence’ in St. Patrick’s Day Parade After Gay Marchers Allowed” inBreitbart.com, Sept. 3, 2014, at https://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/09/03/Cardinal-Dolan-Says-NY-Archbishop-Has-Nothing-to-Do-With-Who-Marches, accessed Sept. 10, 2014
• 5 “OUT@NBCUniversal Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Straight Ally Employee Alliance (OUT) is a volunteer organization with a goal to attract, develop and retain Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Ally employees and help NBCUniversal’s businesses effectively reach the LGBTQA community.... OUT@NBCUniversal helps the businesses of NBCUniversal reach the LGBTQA community by providing employees for focus groups, marketing labs and assistance with direct-to-consumer events such as local Pride festivals.”
• 6 John Bacon, “NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade To Include Gay Group,” in USA Today. Sept. 3, 2014, athttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/03/gay-nyc-st-patricks-day-parade/15008635/, accessed Sept. 10, 2014.
• 7 “Gay Group To March in NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Sept. 3, 2014, athttps://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/03/gay-group-to-march-in-nyc-st-patricks-day-parade/, accessed Sept. 10, 2014. (Our emphasis.)
• 8 Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 1867, 2357-2359; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons,” June 3, 2003. For a collection of other texts from the Magisterium, the Apostles, Fathers of the Church and Saints, as well as an exegetic analysis of the chastisement of Sodom and Gomorrah, see: TFP Committee on American Issues,Defending a Higher Law: Why We Must Resist Same-sex “Marriage” and the Homosexual Movement (Spring Grove, Penn.: The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, 2004),https://www.tfp.org/tfp-home/books/defending-a-higher-law-now-available-online.html.
• 9 “Gay Group To March in NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Mar. 7, 2014, athttps://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/03/gay-group-to-march-in-nyc-st-patricks-day-parade/. (Our emphasis.)
• 10 “Cardinal Dolan Says ‘Bravo’ to Gay Football Player Michael Sam,” athttps://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/Cardinal-Timothy-Dolan-Meet-the-Press-Michael-Sam-Pope-Francis-249042261.html, accessed Sept. 10, 2014.
• 11 “Can. 212 §2 - Christ’s faithful are a liberty to make known their needs, especially their spiritual needs, and their wishes to the Pastors of the Church. §3. They have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matter which concern the good of the Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ’s faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and moral, show due reverence to the Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.” Code of Canon Law.
• 12 St. Thomas Aquinas, Summ. Theol., II-II, 33, 4, 2.
• 13 Cornelius a Lapide, ad Gal., 2, 11.
• 14 Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year (Great Fall, Minn.: St. Bonaventure Publications, 2000), Vol. 4, 379-80.
• 15 Available at https://www.ewtn.com/library/Montfort/pmission.htm, accessed April 2, 2019.