While in town on Sunday for three private fundraisers – the contents of which will hopefully be made public as per campaign tradition – Paul Ryan paid a visit to Hartford’s gay-friendly church, St Patrick-St. Anthony.
According to Father Tom [Gallagher], secret service agents came by the historic brownstone church at about 8AM, to inform him Ryan would be attending mass. Ryan sat in a pew surrounded by security, all of whom showed up in a motorcade of about five vehicles.
The priest also told me although Ryan’s presence was not mentioned in the homily, parishioners were well aware who was worshiping with them. “There was a buzz throughout the church,” Gallagher said.
St. Patrick-St. Anthony had refused to endorse a statewide ban on gay marriage in 2003, and though it does not perform gay marriage, it welcomes LGBT parishioners, divorced people and other disaffected Catholics.
One could say that Ryan’s public genuflection at a gay-friendly church in Connecticut, one of the six states where gay marriage is legal, shortly before he was scheduled to woo some coins from potential donors was just a cheap and shameless ploy. Of course, how could he have known that St. Patrick-St. Anthony was so inclusive – besides its domestically-partnered name? Maybe Ryan just wandered in off the street in need of a quick prayer after seeing the latest poll numbers.
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tdx3fan
There is nothing to be gained from this for the Romney/Ryan 2012 campaign. However, if Ryan was looking more towards 2016 he might be recognizing the important trend in this country towards accept and inclusion for gays and lesbians.
Dumdum
Well he does have pretty eyes. Not too sure about the soul, if he has one.
JNunzio
My parents actually go to that church, and attending single-handedly helped them get through my coming out. It is the oddest catholic church I’ve ever been to – nuns asking me to share my “coming out” story withem, gay retreat weekends with straight and gay parishioners, gay movie nights….I’ve been scared for years that the Pope would find out about them and send them packing.
Not the biggest fan of organized religion but my parents are – so the fact that they can go to such a positive CATHOLIC church is quite an accomplishment.
tidalpool
Many catholic parishes accept and encourage attendance by gay man and women. while many of you seem to be atheists, agnostics and profoundly hateful to organized religion that concept is not returned by all. Mr. Ryan , a catholic who lives his faith, has never been noted as a hater, or one who discriminates against those who are sinners. Love the man, hate the sin is the catholic motto. I doubt if he even cared who was in the congregation. We, as catholics, are just asked to ‘gather in his name.’ Mr. Ryan followed that tennant.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Ryan sat in a pew surrounded by security, all of whom showed up in a motorcade of about five vehicles.
I have to wonder what Christ would think of that.
EdWoody
@JNunzio: It is a shame that such a story is so rare as to be as remarkable as it is.
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: While I agree with your point, I can’t help thinking, “Christ wouldn’t think anything because he’s dead – if he even existed in the first place.”
MikeE
@tidalpool: actually, love the sinner, hate the sin is a neo-christian fallacy. it is not any human’s place to judge the sin of another. that is left to God, and God alone.
If Ryan acts to bring about laws that will limit the rights and freedoms of others “because” of his religious beliefs, then he himself is committing an abomination. He is putting himself above God. It is the ultimate arrogance that any man should think to know better than God.
EvonCook
First of all, his stopping by this particular church proves and probably means nothing at all, except that it was convenient or that he is putting on some sort of a show of faux tolerance for the election. Luckily he was safely surrounded by secret service, I am sure such beefy guys give this hypocritical, ideological and insensitive wimp a thrill. It would only be news if either he said something that addressed these issues or if he or Romney’s sons were gang raped in retribution for the violence encouraged against and done to Gay community for centuries and the hate-spewing religions, party and policies the repubs will further if elected.
gsingjane
St. P-St. A folks are awesome folks! A man who worships and organizes there around GLBT issues came and spoke with our PFLAG group a couple of years back, and he was amazing. He dealt with a somewhat hostile/upset crowd beautifully… I walked away feeling as if I’d learned a lot from what he said, but even more from what he did. This church and its members really deepened (and complicated!) my view of the Catholic faith.
Little-Kiwi
“love the sinner, hate the sin” is a rallying cry for braindead idiots who can’t think for themselves.
i was lucky enough to be raised in the united church of canada, and they’ve been on the forefront of LGBT Equality for decades.
they not only ordain LGBT ministers, they proudly and happily marry LGBT couples.
The United Church of Canada – NOT Raping Your Children Since 1925
BJ McFrisky
The author accuses Ryan as follows: “to woo some coins from potential donors was just a cheap and shameless ploy.” Are you refering to Ryan going to church . . . or Obama going on The View and Letterman while ambassadors are assassinated and the mid-east burns (not to mention his refusal to meet with any of the U.N.)? I dunno, but in the opinion of most voters, the guy who wants to be on TV more than run the country he was elected to run is the more shameless. Guess we’ll all know whose behavior was “cheap and shameless” and whose was respectably professional come November 7.
Matt
It’s wonderful he took the time out of his busy schedule to practice his faith. When some people are away from home that’s the last thing on his mind.
ScaryRussianHeather
Where’s the article on that phony Obama lecturing at Rev Wrights church in 2007 with his faux southern accent on that new tape?
ScaryRussianHeather
@Little-Kiwi: @Little-Kiwi:
You know, every time someone makes certain sweeping hyperbolic statements, my bullshit meter…I mean ESP… just tells me to check it out.
Sure enough, you’re wrong. In fact the perfect United Church of Canada as recently as 1998 fell on their sword publicly for child abuse including sexual abuse that had been going on since the early 1800s. Or did you miss THAT scandal? Aren’t they accused of killing over 50,000 children?
Spare us your sanctimony.
Here’s the ~apology.
http://www.united-church.ca/beliefs/policies/1998/a623
the other Greg
He’s praying to his real Goddess: Ayn Rand.
He’s praying that She can somehow kill off most of the old folks in Florida before they start sending in their ballots, which would be his and R-Money’s only chance at this point.
Wilberforce
He likes Ayn Rand and is too stupid or corrupt to notice the difference between her and the gospels. And of course, the public are too stupid to call him on it.
BJ McFrisky
@ScaryRussianHeather: Good for you, SRH. Li’l Kiwi is one of those intolerable queens who projects his own misery onto others, i.e., constantly claiming (for some reason) that everyone’s family hates them except for his. I suppose that when one has no ammunition in one’s arsenal, one must resort to name-calling and lying.