LOS ANGELES (CA)
Yahoo! [Sunnyvale CA]
June 18, 2023
By The Los Angeles Times
To the editor: Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez’s Mass to “pray for our city” is a disgrace to the church and another slap in the face to the survivors of abuse that has been repeatedly and systematically covered up by the Catholic Church for decades.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, honored at Dodger Stadium’s LGBTQ+ Pride Night on Friday, promote inclusion, grace and assisting those who are ailing or otherwise in need of support. Sounds a lot like that guy Jesus whom Catholics say they follow.
The church, on the other hand, has a lot of other things its leaders should be praying for, including forgiveness for all the harm they have caused.
Cynthia Olaya, Long Beach
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To the editor: The Times’ apparent disdain for Roman Catholics has intruded into your editorial quality assurance process.
Someone should have corrected the reporter who described the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as “made up of queer nuns.” Any definition of nun you can find in a reputable dictionary describes them as women in a religious order. I don’t think the Sisters fit that definition.
These Sisters are not nuns, and you continue to insult my religion.
Joe Sykora, Woodland Hills
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To the editor: I went to Catholic schools in Los Angeles and was taught by nuns. They were outstanding teachers.
I am lucky, however, that I was not in an orphanage in Ireland, where nuns abused children. Nor was I an Indigenous person in Canada separated from my family and forcibly placed into Catholic institutions overseen by nuns. The abuses there were so awful that Pope Francis apologized for them last year.
Jesus said to love our enemies. Gomez’s statement on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence does not mention loving his enemies or praying for these gay men.
I pray for them, for the nuns, for Gomez and for the Catholic Church that it may eventually and fully realize and accept the abuses done by their religious men and women.
Matthew Hetz, Los Angeles
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To the editor: My sermon for Gomez is the same as it was for Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who previously expressed disagreement with the team’s decision to re-invite the Sisters to its Pride night.
Lighten up, guys: The Sisters are not laughing at Catholic nuns, they’re laughing with them. It’s good-hearted teasing, that’s all.
Keep the faith, gentlemen, but don’t lose your sense of humor.
Vincent Brook, Los Angeles
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.