Rev. John Unni Defies Boston Archdiocese To Preach Gay Inclusion In St. Cecilia's Catholic Church (VIDEO)

Last week brought news that the Boston Archdiocese had directed St. Cecilia's Catholic Church to cancel a specially scheduled liturgy called, "All Are Welcome".

The announcement of the special mass had led to outrage from more conservative church members and motivated the Archdiocese to intervene by issuing an official clarification on the matter. This past Sunday, St. Cecilia's priest, the Rev. John Unni, was instructed to reiterate the official announcement. Instead, Father Unni delivered a passionate and heartfelt sermon on the importance of love and inclusion, witnessed by HuffPost blogger Tom Matlack, and captured on video by the Boston Globe.

WATCH:

Comments

[willindermaur]

08:14 PM on 07/23/2011

God Bless you Father! We need more priests like you, and lay people like you. As a gay Catholic, I feel persecuted against more than non-Catholic gays and heterosexual Catholics. I get hate from inside the Church for being gay and hate from outside the church for being Catholic. This priest gives me hope.

[Moose Luck 99]

05:09 PM on 06/27/2011

Hey gay man save your time be an Anglican!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck02k6d-_nI

[KennebunkportIndependent]

08:00 AM on 06/24/2011

Watch out for this good priest's removal after a surious letter is received from an unknown source making allegations, which the archdiocese pronounces as 'credible'.  Watch his career cut short as he is placed on administrative leave and sent to meditate at some 'treatment center' a.k.a. 'retreat'.  Watch the archdiocese once presided over by Bernard Law return to its role of forbidding any thoughts other than what it pronounces as valid or acceptable.

This is one brave priest .  If worse comes to worse, he will be welcome in the Anglican church.

[ProgressivesArePatriots]

08:08 PM on 07/05/2011

Most of the time, compassionate, brave LGBT-friendly priests are simply transferred to cities where their message is welcome.

Very little news is actually made.

[gregory57]

03:19 PM on 06/23/2011

Where is the journalistic integrity? The reason the Bishop asked Fr. Unni not to deliver his "all are welcome" homily was because he didn't want it delivered during Gay Pride Month, not because he disapproved of it's content.

I believe that the Bishop doesn't want the Church to be perceived as being supporting or promoting of "Gay Pride" movement and it's flamboyant, and for many, shocking promotion of the promiscuous homosexual lifestyle, rather than LGBT inclusion in the Catholic community.

Bottom line? The Church is willing to love the sinner, but not the sin.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

08:01 AM on 06/24/2011

Hypocrisy.

[john1513]

11:15 AM on 06/21/2011

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

- Mt 5:27-28

[john1513]

11:13 AM on 06/21/2011

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

- Catechism of the Catholic Church

[KennebunkportIndependent]

08:02 AM on 06/24/2011

The Catechism is man's  work.  It is the reason why Christians cannot become Catholics.

[john1513]

11:32 AM on 06/24/2011

The Catechism applies Sacred Scripture to moral living. From the above, what would a Christian object to? What good is Sacred Scripture without an authority from God to tell us what it means? This same Church compiled the Bible as we know it.

We have a supreme court to interpret the Constitution. How much more wise is God to leave us the Church to guide his people? The Church is the "pillar and foundation of truth." (1 Tim 3:15)

[lindsey91]

08:29 PM on 06/20/2011

I go to this church doing the school year, and I've seen this controversy coming for a while. There are lots of subtle and not so subtle mentions of gay acceptance during homilies. Many times Father Unni will be discussing a much more general topic and will include a line something like "no matter what color your skin is, what gender you are, or what your sexuality is." Even these brief allusions to sexual identity shocked me, since the Catholic church I attended growing up was nothing like that. As I attended mass more often, I realized the particular church was definitely supportive of gay acceptance, since there were several events by the "Rainbow Ministry" that they sponsored/supported and encouraged everyone to go to. Personally, I found all this very exciting, and although I am straight, St. Cecilia's openness towards everyone has made me feel more welcome; however I've admittedly wondered how he was getting away with some of the things he's talked about (such as homosexuality). Father Unni definitely has a way with words, and I always leave mass at St. Cecilia's feeling rejuvenated. His homilies always open my eyes and make me think about how I can be a better person. I know everyone at St. Cecilia's will support him, but I am a little afraid of how the archdiocese will respond, especially now that it's on the internet and in the public eye.

[onebluebrick]

11:01 AM on 06/20/2011

I think some people are confusiing terms, here. Everyone, regardless of the state of his/her soul, is welcome at Mass. Catholics know which behaviors the are considered to be sinful by the Catholic Church; acts of homosexuality being among them. The church harbors no predudice againstr homosexuals, only homosexual sexual practices.

[rbryanh]

02:41 PM on 06/20/2011

"We harbor no prejudice against mammals; only against breathing."

Disingenuous, much?

For LGBT people, Catholicism is a soul-destroying "come as you aren't" party - a candy-coated invitation to the most toxic of hypocrisies. All one has to do to gain the Vatican's acceptance is deny one's God-given nature, abandon any semblance of integrity, and live a lie.

All because one of the world's oldest, richest, and most corrupt institutions finds it politically advantageous to enforce a highly selective interpretation of a heavily edited 2,000 year old book of tribal superstitions.

[john1513]

11:06 AM on 06/21/2011

Actions do not define a man. We are not bound by our desires or temptations. The Catholic Church and Christianity preach freedom. I hope someday you will too.

[gregory57]

11:33 PM on 06/22/2011

"come as you aren't" or "don't "come" at all"? The difference is subtle, but it must be remembered that the Church considers all sex without the possibility of procreation sinful, not just LGBTUQ folk.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

08:03 AM on 06/24/2011

I am welcome at Mass; true; but I am not welcome to receive the Host as I am Anglican.  Without that, there is little point in attending Mass.

[rbryanh]

12:51 AM on 06/20/2011

I can't imagine why anyone of conscience and integrity seeking to live his or her life in emulation of Christ would become involved with Christianity in general or Catholicism in particular, but there's no faulting Father Unni's courage.

It'll be interesting to see how his organization castrates him. At least - here, now, and so far as adults are concerned - we needn't fear he'll be literally tortured.

[onebluebrick]

11:03 AM on 06/20/2011

so what?

[rbryanh]

02:27 PM on 06/20/2011

It's difficult to keep up with the level of articulation and wit on this site. Sometimes I feel so outclassed.

[LuLou Murder]

12:08 AM on 06/20/2011

Applause for Rev Unni. As for the rest of the Church, I sometimes wonder if they've ever read the Bible, other than Leviticus.

[john1513]

11:08 AM on 06/21/2011

I would ask the same of atheists and agnostics who solely quote Leviticus. Which parts of the Bible encourage homosexual behavior or indulging in our desires?

[modernsteven]

10:43 AM on 06/22/2011

As an agnostic I do not look to your bible for validation of my sexuality, I look to my soul as a guide to live truthfully and honestly. Your religion is based on fear, and the false notion the Jesus ordained Paul to create the Catholic church.....LOAD OF BS.

[abuna dude]

10:54 PM on 06/19/2011

good for you Padre, good for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andres64]

02:25 PM on 06/19/2011

Interestin­g study about home-o-fob­es:

Homophobic Men Most Aroused by Gay Male Porn
http://www­.psycholog­ytoday.com­/blog/the-­big-questi­ons/201106­/homophobi­c-men-most­-aroused-g­ay-male-po­rn

[DrProsek]

10:18 AM on 06/30/2011

Dead link is dead.

Also, if we're talking about the same study, the men watching the gay porn got aroused when the anger portion of their brain lit up (meaning they were getting angry). They were actually getting rage-boners, so the study really only shows 'people who are angry at the idea of gay people having sex get angry when they see gay people have sex.'

[Kalin Persuation]

01:41 PM on 06/19/2011

Homophobia is rampant in the Roman Catholic Church especially among the hierarchy and in Rome. Father John, preaching in front of a Catholic Bishop seated in the sanctuary, is a blessed man with a pair of "spiritual balls." Amen.

[willindermaur]

08:12 PM on 07/23/2011

Amen! He gives me hope as a Gay Catholic

[Somerglesias]

01:30 PM on 06/19/2011

we need more priests like this guy. hopefully he'll inspire others do follow his lead.
One can only hope...

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:01 PM on 06/18/2011

This man is closer to Jesus than either pope or prelates. I wish him God and Goddesspeed.

[Rational Thought Plz]

03:29 PM on 06/19/2011

Was last week we were discussing this, how the archdiocese had stepped in to try to cancel an all are welcome mass. I am so very proud of this man for going against them. He is absolutely closer to Jesus - whom had no trouble challenging the religious leadership of the Pharisees - than the others mentioned.

BTW, Appreciate the change in microbio. I realize the last one was a joke and you had plenty of reasons for it, but as this man proves, we aren't all that way.