Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay marr

dano22 · Nov 15, 2012

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/380452/

BARNESVILLE, Minn. – If you want to be a Catholic, you have to be 100 percent Catholic.

That’s the lesson one family here learned after their 17-year-old son was denied confirmation after the priest at the Assumption Church here found a pro same-sex marriage post on the teen’s Facebook.

The decision by the Rev. Gary LaMoine to deny the religious rite of passage for Lennon Cihak in mid-October shocked his mother, who said her son has gone to church every week and volunteered around the community in preparation for his confirmation this year.

“You kind of know the Catholic beliefs, but I never thought they would deny somebody confirmation because you weren’t 100 percent. I guess that’s what shocks me,” Shana Cihak said.

The Facebook post in question was a photo of Lennon in front of an altered political sign. Originally reading “Vote Yes” on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment, which would have changed the state’s constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, Lennon scribbled out the “yes” and replaced it with “NO!”

Shana, who said she was confirmed at the same church, was called into a private conversation with the priest soon after the photo was discovered and was told her son wouldn’t be allowed to complete confirmation.

A man who answered the door at the rectory adjacent the church at 307 Front St. N. here just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday said he had no comment. Shana said La-Moine lives at the rectory by himself.

Lennon said fellow students in his confirmation class “liked” the photo on Facebook, but they were still allowed to be confirmed.

“I just thought it was wrong to single him out,” Shana said.

Her husband, Doug Cihak, agreed.

“(LaMoine) was talking about ‘God doesn’t believe in this.’ Well, God created Lennon,” said Doug, adding that he was baptized and raised in the same church.

But now the family is not allowed to participate in Communion there, Doug said, and he’s worried as to how far the sanctions will go, expressing concern about being able to be buried alongside his parents.

Still, Doug insists he’s not mad at LaMoine, calling him just a “messenger” of the church. The same could not be said for his wife, who said she doesn’t plan on returning to the church ever again, her son nodding in agreement.

“You should be able to go to a church for support, help,” Lennon said. “He pushed me away.”

Shana said she contacted Bishop Michael Hoeppner of the Catholic Diocese in Crookston to see what her options were to appeal, but Hoeppner said not much could be done. A more formal appeal could still be filed, she said.

A St. Joseph’s Catholic School teacher in Moorhead was also let go earlier this year after she expressed concern about Hoeppner preaching to children about the marriage amendment.

Calls to a phone number listed for Hoeppner on Wednesday evening resulted in a message saying the phone was temporarily not accepting calls.

But through it all, Lennon said his faith hasn’t faltered.

“I don’t want the church to be put down. I don’t want the Catholic religion to be put down,” he said. “It’s just the way the priest has things running. He’s so strict. He won’t loosen up about things.”
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This article just makes me sick as a member of the catholic church and living close to this town. I am close to being done with this church.

Rakkaus · Nov 15, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

The Catholic church just spent $2 million fighting marriage equality across four states and lost all four contests. It's no surprise they're feeling rather bitter about the whole thing.

Toaddy · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

I'm not surprised either. As a fellow Minnesotan i know first hand how the churches around here are. One church by us even preached to a youth group that if they ever thought about gay marriage as a good thing they would go to hell and God wouldn't forgive them.

Robin · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

I recently got confirmed into the Catholic church actually. They didn't know I was gay, but still, their specific teaching, which I learning in my religious education classes, is that you should not engage in homosexual sex, not that you can't be gay, so he should have been able to get confirmed. Then again, my church's bishop gave a large speech during my confirmation mass, saying that if you aren't striving to be a full catholic, you might as well not be catholic at all. The bishop at my confirmation also did this thing where he brought five guys (confirmation candidates) up to the front of the church, and asked them why they couldn't be priests. The guys all said that they liked girls too much. The priest said that this was no excuse. All I could think of was what would happen if I was up there and said, "I like guys too much." I wouldn't have gotten confirmed. I can tell you that much! :lol:

Still, the Catholic church IS a good organization. They do a lot of great things, and the guy was right to say that he doesn't want to put down the church because of that. When I was still going to church, I saw people's lives change for the better. Catholicism is full of wonderful people. There are just a few bad eggs that are way too loud about being strictly Catholic. Long live the Catholic church, but hopefully it realizes that it's pushing people away.

Pseudojim · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

Good, he will be better off avoiding that despicable cult all together.

SparkDT · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

Wow. :/

Hexagon · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

I wonder why he "said his faith hasn’t faltered."

If I had any, mine would have.

Rachyl · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

Well, I am guessing that I won't be able to be Catholic anymore. I'm gonna lose a ton of friends and some family, but I cannot be part of something that thinks it's ok to treat people this way.

I know I was wrong when I believed that being sexual fluid in any form was just a personal choice. Boy was I wrong.

But it doesn't affect in any way my belief in God, or that there are good people that are Christians that help all people whatever their sexual orientation.

dano22 · Nov 16, 2012

Re: Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay

There are lots of catholics who do support gay marriage but keep it quiet in church just to avoid problems. The church can be a very loving place being a catholic since I was born but when it comes to gay rights it is a horrid place. I find out it sad that most catholics that are in the news portray the church as a hateful place when there loving catholics. Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, John Kerry, The Kennedys are all catholics who support gay rights.

Barnesville teen denied Catholic confirmation after Facebook post supporting gay marr

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