Anger, hurt over gay-marriage fliers at Harvard church By Marcella Bombardieri, Globe Staff, 2/15/2004 When two men began handing out fliers at St. Paul Church in Harvard Square recently, they had a message that probably would not have raised an eyebrow in most Catholic parishes: Stop same-sex marriage. But St. Paul, the Catholic church affiliated with Harvard University, serves an academic community with a politically liberal streak, and several of the most active parishioners are openly gay. On a recent Sunday, before 11 o'clock Mass was over, one outraged parishioner threw many of the fliers into the sacristy's trash and tore down some of the signs adorning a booth, before breaking down in tears. A second churchgoer, too upset to sit through services, went home and wrote an open letter that he distributed after Mass, calling the distribution of the flier "an injustice." "There are many different kinds of people who come here, all searching for God," Harvard graduate student Kris Manjapra, who is gay, wrote in the letter. "Why must they now be made to feel that they don't belong?" And suddenly a church that had managed for years to walk a tightrope between the views of the Catholic Church and the tenor of its Harvard Square community found itself in a difficult predicament: How to assuage the distraught parishioners and still abide by the tenets of the faith. While St. Paul is not by any stretch alone in grappling with political debate, the dispute has highlighted a tension between the culture of academic communities, with their emphasis on a diversity of views, and traditional religious delineations of right and wrong. "Typically in an academic setting there can be more give-and-take than in the typical parish, where discourse moves in one direction, from the pulpit to the pews," said the Rev. James L. Heft, president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies and chancellor at the University of Dayton. But Heft hastened to add that many parishes do invite vigorous debate, while in university communities, "academic freedom is sometimes freedom for those who think what academics do, and not necessarily a real freedom of thought." Whatever the root cause, the recent events at St. Paul have been painful for the priests as well as the parishioners. "Sunday's confrontation is deeply regrettable, and it has resulted in feelings of alienation and hurt for some within this community," the church's three priests wrote in a statement in response to questions from the Globe. "This resultant effect is an issue of grave concern for the parish staff, and we are doing our best to respond to the pastoral needs of our people." Since the Supreme Judicial Court ruled to legalize gay marriage in November, Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley has been speaking out against same-sex marriage, and many priests have addressed the topic from the pulpit. But the priests at St. Paul have been noticeably silent on the topic, failing to bring it up in sermons, according to several parishioners. Every year, the pastor gives an opening homily welcoming everyone, regardless of their past, their race, profession, or sexual orientation, said parishioner Bevil Conway. This approach has essentially kept the peace, making the politically liberal feel at home even as they disagree with many Catholic teachings. Then Karl Wirth, a high-tech worker and Harvard graduate, approached the pastor, Monsignor Dennis Sheehan, for permission to set up a table, and Sheehan agreed. "My friends and I had many conversations with other parishioners who wanted to learn more about the Catholic Church's position on same-sex marriage . . . and so we set up our booth to give educational materials to interested parishioners," Wirth wrote in an e-mail to the Globe. On Feb. 1, Conway, a Harvard neurobiologist, had been assisting in the 9:30 a.m. Mass as an altar server, and after Mass, he saw the table, staffed by Wirth and another man. "I felt like a good friend of mine had died," said Conway, who is gay. "We all look to St. Paul's as being this voice of responsibility, ministering the actual teaching of Christ, which is love." When Sheehan refused to shut down the table, Conway made several trips up and down the aisles, carrying piles of the flier and throwing them out in the sacristy. He also tore down some of the signs hung from the table, he said. Conway and Manjapra also argued with Wirth and his companion. Manjapra said one man told him he did not know the catechism, implying he wasn't a good Catholic. Conway was asked by a church greeter to leave. But Wirth said the discussions were civil. About 50 people took handouts and about seven "respectfully voiced disagreement," he said. The Rev. Tom Brennan, until recently a chaplain at St. Paul, said he thinks it is appropriate to allow groups to hand out literature addressing Catholic teachings as long as no one "condemns other people for not being good Catholics." But Manjapra and Conway insist that such a thing has no place in their Harvard Square church. "The priests have a responsibility to make sure that information distributed on tables adheres to the spirit of the community," Conway said. "That space should be for selling apple pies to make money for the boys' choir." Talking to a priest soon after the confrontation, Conway burst into tears and began wondering whether he still belonged in the church. A friend, Tufts graduate student Julianna LeMieux, briefly questioned whether she still wanted to get married at St. Paul in April. The parish council discussed the controversy at last Sunday's meeting, and plans to consider whether anyone should be allowed to promote a political cause in the church. But no decision was made. Everyone has calmed down by now, and all express great appreciation for the supportive priests. Wirth said, "We should remain in respectful dialogue." But other parishioners have different ideas of what constitutes respect. "This went beyond a mistake; it's something bigger," said Manjapra, who studies German history at Harvard. "What I'm afraid of is that my church community will become one of exclusion and name-calling." Marcella Bombardieri can be reached at bombardieri@globe.com. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company. © Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
|