Q Toon: Unequal Rites

Last weekend, Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino of the Madison, Wisconsin diocese sent an email to parish priests counseling against conducting funeral services for LGBT persons.

The confidential email, sent Saturday by Vicar General James Bartylla with Morlino’s backing, said rites “may be denied for manifest sinners” if providing the services would cause unavoidable “public scandal of the faithful.”
In Catholic doctrine, the word “scandal” can refer to something that is believed will lead others into sin or cause a confusion or weakening of others’ faith. Other parts of Bartylla’s message, published Sunday in a progressive Minnesota religious blog called Pray Tell, said “general considerations” priests should keep in mind if asked to perform Catholic funeral rites by the deceased’s family or same-sex partner include whether “the deceased or the ‘partner’ was a ‘promoter of the gay lifestyle.’ ”

In the manner of clerical communication, the language is less than direct, with "should" when the intended meaning is "must." Words like "gravely" and "notorious" leave little doubt as to what the local ordinary has to say about funeral rites. From Morlino's email:

You may encounter the situation in which a person in a homosexual civil union (thereby in a public union gravely contrary to the natural law) or in an otherwise notorious homosexual relationship gravely contrary to the natural law dies, and the family wants Catholic funeral rites for the deceased. My short answer to pastors and parochial vicars in these cases is to think through the issue thoroughly and prudently and likely call the local ordinary early in the process to discuss the situation. The main issue centers around scandal and confusion (leading others into the occasion of sin or confusing or weakening people regarding the teachings of the Catholic Church in regards to sacred doctrine and the natural law), and thereby the pastoral task is to minimize the risk of scandal and confusion to others amidst the solicitude for the deceased and family.

Bishop Morlino, then, counsels his pastors to join the priest and the levite in minimizing the risk of scandal and just continue on along the road. Let those notorious Samaritans handle the situation.

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A topic I had abandoned for this week's cartoon was the Million Moms' objection to an adolescent character on a Disney Channel program coming out as gay. All the ideas kept gravitating toward punch lines involving Kevin Spacey that I just wasn't comfortable signing my name to.

Back in my early twenties, I used to be involved in local theater, and I recall a (probably) underage cast member who pinged my gaydar. Even at a cast party at which much gin was consumed, I knew enough not to press —ahem— the issue with him. The theater world being what it was in those days before AIDS had a name (the debauchery at cast parties for an earlier production of Billy Budd was legendary), I was less concerned with the ramifications should my estimation of his sexuality prove wrong than should my estimation of his age prove correct.

I was no saint, and I certainly had a lot left to learn about life, but I at least enough common sense to know that no good comes from plucking unripe fruit.

So it's immensely disappointing that Mr. Spacey has come out as gay now only because his inexcusable and crass attempt to seduce a 14-year-old boy three decades ago has become public. Had Anthony Rapp not become an established and respected actor in his own right, Mr. Spacey would no doubt still be able to keep all his secrets under wraps in his closet.

Meanwhile, as the Harvey Weinstein scandal spreads to cover producers, directors, actors, journalists, academics, and at least three presidents of the United States — all men, gay and straight, are bracing themselves for the possibility that some forgotten unrequited attraction was someone else's #metoo moment. I can't think of any in my own past, but there's always a chance I may have told an inappropriate joke in mixed company that scarred you for life. Or perhaps you were offended by my plucking unripe fruit analogy a minute ago.

Please accept my apology.