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Catholic Archdiocese orders cancellation of Mass commemorating Boston Pride

Catholic Archdiocese orders cancellation of Mass commemorating Boston Pride

The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has ordered a local church to cancel a Mass scheduled for next weekend themed “All are Welcome,” caving to criticism that the church was sanctioning a celebration of LGBT Pride month.

In its most recent bulletin, St. Cecilia Parish said that it had planned a “liturgy to commemorate Boston Pride 2011’’ for later this month.

“The Rainbow Ministry of St. Cecilia Parish invites all friends and supporters of the LGBT community to a Mass in celebration of Boston’s Pride Month,” the bulletin said. “The theme of the liturgy, ‘All Are Welcome,’ honors Christ’s message of hope and salvation to all people. We will also celebrate the diverse community that finds its home at St. Cecilia.”

Opposition to the Mass grew out of a post by a local blogger who writes under the pseudonym Joe Sacerdo, who questioned Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley’s commitment to church doctrine.

“Celebrating a ‘Gay Pride’ Mass isn’t expressing the moral teachings of the church with clarity and fidelity or telling people their behavior is unacceptable — it’s telling them their behavior is just fine,” Sacerdo wrote.

“I find it hard to believe that Christians don’t believe the great variety of people as God made them is a lovely thing,” said Susan Donnelly, a member of the parish council of St. Cecilia.

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