Few priests sign name to ban gay marriage
By Bill Zajac, The Springfield Republican | December 30, 2005
Despite the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church urging support for a petition against same-sex marriage, only 20 percent of priests who work in the Springfield diocese signed the petition, according to a Web site tracking the issue.
Of the 154 active local priests, 31, or 20 percent, signed the petition that seeks to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Information about petition signers was gathered from the Web site of the pro-gay marriage organization, knowthyneighbor.org.
Leaders of the organization said their Web site's petition database contains all the names accepted by the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office, which certified the petition.
The petition seeks to amend the state constitution to prevent gay marriages. The initiative must be approved by lawmakers during two successive legislative sessions before going on the 2008 ballot.
The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, the Springfield diocese's bishop, urged priests and parishioners to support the petition. In a letter to priests prior to the statewide petition drive several months ago, McDonnell wrote, "Help at the parish level is vital. I encourage the cooperation of your parish in this important campaign."
Various reasons were offered to explain why most priests didn't sign the petition.
The Rev. James J. Scahill, the East Longmeadow priest who has been outspoken critic of the church's leadership, said the clergy's lack of support for the petition reflects the refusal of priests to back an anti-gay measure. He said some of the priests are gay.
He said priests' refusal to sign the petition is an acknowledgment that same-sex unions are among people willing to make public commitments of genuine love.
Scahill said he didn't sign the petition because the state wasn't asking the church to "sacramentalize" same-sex unions.
Larry Cirignano of Catholic Citizenship, which helped organize the petition drive, was at a loss to explain the low percentage of signatures.
He said some of the priests may have signed a petition paper that was disqualified.
"Whole sheets were thrown out (at city clerks' offices and the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office) because of tears, stains and other reasons," Cirignano said.
"Why so many priests didn't sign is a legitimate question," Cirignano said.
Aaron D. Toleos, director of knowthyneighbor.org, said he believes many priests didn't sign the petition as a form of silent protest against the proposed amendment.
Toleos said several priests were disciplined by church leaders for not circulating the petition.
Several Springfield diocesan priests who didn't sign the petition refused to go on record with public comments, citing fear of retribution by superiors.
In an internal memo to priests, diocesan spokesman Mark E. Dupont told priests on Nov. 23 that the media might examine the petitions to discover which priests didn't sign them.
In the Springfield Diocese, about the same percentage of diocesan priests as religious order priests signed the petition.
Local priests who signed the petition were the Revs. Dennis P. Bombadier, Paul A. Bombadier, Richard A. Bondi, Paul Burns, Michael Callea, Robert J. Coonan, Anthony Corigliano, Alexander Cymerman, Charles J. DiMascola, Henry L. Dorsch, Edward T. Fitzgerald, John Gawienowski, Homer P. Gosselin, Donald Higgins, David J. Joyce, James K. Joyce, Paul C. LaFlamme, Gerard A. Lafleur, David Lord, William H. Lunney, Christopher A. Malatesta, Joseph Massaro, Edward T. Nedder, Francis Reilly, Robert H. Riel, Richard A. Riendeau, Philippe D. Roux, Ronald F. Sadlowski, Michael Shershanovich, Richard S. Sniezyk and Raymond A. Soltys.
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