Not Helping

Fr. Finigan has a post about a "protest" being planned by the Rainbow Sash Movement at Westminster Cathedral for this Sunday, which is Whitsun. Someone called "Adam" has the following comment.

As a liberal, as the brother of a gay man (who is a church musician), as a holder of progressive and often heretical theology, as a supporter of inclusiveness and the ordination of both women and homosexuals... I would just like to say to my Christian brothers and sisters involved with the rainbow sash movement:

You're not helping.

The Sacred Liturgy is not the place for us- any of us- to make ideological statements. If we (liberals) can hijack the Mass for our own ends, you can be sure they (conservatives, or whoever) can too. The ideological backlash to liturgical innovation should be a stern warning on the dangers of straying too far away from an orthodox mode of worship.

Further, turning your participation in the sacrifice of the Mass into an ideological statement (even a good and noble one, as I believe yours is) will only further anger and alienate those from whom you most need understanding.

Protests and statements are exciting and glamorous; the feeling of accomplishment and righteousness in such an act of "solidarity" is tempting- even seductive. But the accomplishment of your goals- acceptance, love, unity, understanding- will rely on on unrewarding, unglamorous work: building real, loving relationships with those who disagree with you; deepening your own understanding of God through the spiritual disciplines; involving yourself in the life of the Church; separating yourself from secularism and modernity so that you have more in common with your Christian "opponents" than with your atheist friends; affording to traditionalists and conservatives the same love, respect, and open-mindedness that you expect from them; submitting your will, your agenda, your timeline, and indeed your life to God who makes all things possible.

Well, all I can really say is "Amen" to most of that. I know that the Archbishop knows that this sad little American-style stunt has been set up, and I've heard him speak very sensibly about the need to deal with this sort of thing as gently and compassionately as possible. In practice though, I'm sorry to say, if people want to feel self-righteous then almost by definition they won't want either compassion or gentleness. Worse still, they won't want the forgiveness that only Jesus can give. As Father says in the body of his post

First of all, it should be understood clearly that this kind of protest does not by any means represent all homosexual Catholics. Many Catholics with a homosexual orientation would find this confrontation in the context of the Mass to be abhorrent. Many also would resist the idea of "self identification" as though a homosexual orientation defined who one is. They do not feel "alienated" from the Church which has shown compassion and sensitivity in her public teaching and in countless confessionals both in England and across the world.

Until they're ready to return to those confessionals, all we can really do for these people in the meantime is pray for them.

UPDATE: Still "Mein Camp-mode", this on the Telegraph website was just priceless.