Catholic high school president, Father Edward Salmon, welcomes gay couple to prom

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from Raw Story:


The administrator of a Catholic high school in New York wrote to his students’ parents this week to explain why a gay couple at the all-boys school is being allowed to attend the junior prom together.

Father Edward Salmon, president of McQuaid Jesuit High School in Brighton, explained that the boys “will be welcomed” as a couple, even though he insisted the gesture of acceptance is not meant to condone homosexuality or go against church law in any way. His full letter, sent Wednesday, was published Thursday by local news website rochesterhomepage.net.

For Salmon, the acceptance represents the success of a student-driven campaign to allow the boys to attend their junior prom together. The school’s administrator described the emotions that campaign generated as “darkness and heavy clouds,” leading to the spread of “misinformation, fear, misunderstanding, and even anger.”

“Into the darkness of misinformation, fear, misunderstanding and anger, together with Pope Francis, I invite and encourage each and every one of us in the McQuaid family to be men and women who bring hope to one another,” Father Salmon wrote. “I invite and encourage each and every one of us in the McQuaid family to be men and women who look upon one another with tenderness and love. I invite and encourage each and every one of us in the McQuaid family to open up a horizon of hope, to let a ray of light break through heavy clouds.”

He added that despite rumors of a decision against the boys’ request, no decision had previously been made. Then, citing a message from the Conference of Catholic Bishops, Salmon urged the faithful “to confront their own fears about homosexuality and to curb the humor and discrimination that offend homosexual persons. We understand that having a homosexual orientation brings with it enough anxiety, pain and issues related to self-acceptance without society bringing additional prejudicial treatment.”


read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/29/new-york-catholic-high-school-president-welcomes-gay-couple-to-prom/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Bluenorthwest]

1. It takes some work to use languae as this priest does. Cake and eat it too. He welcomes but does

not condone? Well, here is the definition of the word 'condone'
con·done
/kənˈdōn/
Verb

Accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue.
Approve or sanction (something), esp. with reluctance.

Synonyms
forgive - pardon - remit - excuse - absolve - overlook


So he does not accept, does not approve, but he still thinks he's welcoming? He makes clear that he does not accept nor approve. Can you really welcome those whom you refuse to accept and whom you announce that you do not approve?

I think this is a very conflicted man who needs some honesty in his soul about what his words really mean in our shared language. The double speak gets very old and it is so mendacious and self serving on the part of this cleric.

[bigtree]

3. well, in his case, yes he can do both (as the school administrator)

. . . he's made the effort and allowed these two to attend the church school prom as a couple. That's what these two youth were petitioning for, I expect; not for a perfect statement of acceptance from this Catholic priest who clearly disagrees with their lifestyle choice.

Personally, and for his parishioners, as well, he does need to bring all of that reasoning full circle to the truth of the matter. Acceptance and tolerance are woefully short of where I'd expect folks in the people profession to come out on the issue of homosexuality. They'll know they're in the right frame when they begin 'celebrating' our differences, rather than merely tolerating them.

[Heidi]

2. Kick!