Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Catholics Lead Support Gay Marriage - Fr. Marty Kurylowicz & Ricky Martin publicly “coming out” March 29, 1997, 2010 | NY Gov Cuomo & Vatican Attacks | * * * * * * Benedict XVI 30 yrs Child Sexual Abuse Cover-ups – 3/9/11


Parishioners supportive of gay priest
By Charley Honey,
The Grand Rapids Press - March 29, 1997

The Rev. Martin Kurylowicz got lots of hugs after Good Friday services at Sparta's Holy Family Catholic Church

"I was just filled with tears, there were so many hugs," said Kurylowicz, 47, following Friday's well-attended afternoon service. "It means more now, because they know the real me."

…He spoke up after attending a national conference on gay issues and the Catholic Church in early March. He was disturbed by accounts of homosexual children feeling isolated and parents feeling they did something wrong.

"I just couldn't walk away from it," he said. "I couldn't deny the pain."

He hopes his admission will raise awareness of violence against homosexuals and teen suicide, and help teach others that homosexuality is not a choice…
Read complete report: Archived - The Grand Rapids Press

Kurylowicz comes out
By Charles Honey
June 28, 1997, The Grand Rapids Press

…A spokeswoman for the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference said Kurylowicz's coming out to his congregation, first in a newsletter then from the pulpit on Holy Thursday, is "unprecedented." "No one knows of anyone who has spoken of this from the pulpit," said Sister Mary Ann Walsh. Photo 

"It was one part [being gay] of myself that was just closed off," says the youthful-looking 47-year old. But the feelings persisted.

"Just like any heterosexual, those feelings are always there," explains Kurylowicz, who speaks with a nervous but friendly intensity. "You're shamed by it every time they come up. Then you (start) running away.

"You stop being who you are. You become something that you think others will find more acceptable." Kurylowicz became a workaholic…

But he thought the source of his growing depression was overwork. He went into counseling, where in time he opened up about his sexuality.

"Every time I faced it, the better I felt," he recalls. He smiles often, furrows his brow frequently as he describes those days. Eventually he attended support groups for gays, which helped him shed layers of shame and fear. "It was the first time I saw more positive images of (gay) people," he says.
"I thought, 'What was I running away from?' "

…Meanwhile, classes in psychology and his own studies convinced Kurylowicz that homosexual orientation is not chosen,…

Gradually, he felt the pressure of suppressing his feelings lift, giving him "a tremendous capacity to live."

A few years ago he told family and friends he was gay. But he didn't decide to tell his congregation until he attended a national conference in March sponsored by New Ways Ministry, an organization advocating more understanding of gays in the Catholic Church.

Kurylowicz says his decision was triggered by a report that homosexually oriented children as young as 4 realize they're different. He was moved by the pain those children feel. Photo 

"Then I realized they don't have a voice, and I'm the one [a  Catholic priest] that's supposed to say something," Kurylowicz says. "That's why I couldn't walk away from it."…
Read complete report: Archived - The Grand Rapids Press

Important related links:
No US Civil Laws To Protect Out Gay Priest Protecting Children - From Vatican Attacks To Silence http://fathermartykurylowicz.blogspot.com/2010/09/gay-marriage-separation-between-church.html

Ricky Martin says he's 'a fortunate homosexual man'
By Alan Duke
CNN.com, March 29, 2010

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Pop singer Ricky Martin declared publicly this week what he avoided discussing for years: He is gay.

"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin wrote on his official Web site. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

…Now, Martin wrote, "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed."

The 39-year-old Puerto Rican native started off with the Latin boy band Menudo before launching his solo career in 1991. Photo 

His song "Livin' La Vida Loca" rose to the top of the music charts in 1999 and propelled Martin to stardom.

Martin said he decided years ago to not share "my entire truth" with the world because people he loved warned him that "everything you've built will collapse."

"Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage," he wrote. "Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions."

Ricky Martin Comes Out: 'I Am a Fortunate Homosexual Man' - ABC News – Read more

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.” Ricky Martin – Read more

Ricky Martin,
In deep appreciation for your courage and kindness to children, with all best wishes to you and your family, Fr. Marty Kurylowicz 


Sexual Attraction and Orientation – Kids Health

About Sexual Orientation
It's a natural part of life to have sexual feelings. As people pass from childhood, through adolescence, to adulthood, their sexual feelings develop and change.

During the teen years, sexual feelings are awakened in new ways because of the hormonal and physical changes of puberty. These changes involve both the body and the mind, and teens tend to wonder about new — and often intense — sexual feelings.

It takes time for many people to understand who they are and who they're becoming. Part of that understanding includes a person's sexual feelings and attractions…

Do People Choose Their Sexual Orientation?
Most medical professionals, including organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Psychological Association (APA), believe that sexual orientation involves a complex mixture of biology, psychology, and environmental factors. A person's genes and inborn hormonal factors may play a role as well. These medical professionals believe that — in most cases — sexual orientation, whatever its causes, is not simply chosen…

Catholics lead the way on same-sex marriage
By Jonathan Capehart,
March 21, 2011 – The Washington Post

The Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that same-sex marriage is supported by 53 percent of those surveyed. That's amazing. For the first time in the poll's history, the level of support for marriage equality cracked 50 percent. For the first time, a majority of  men (53 percent) say yes to allowing gays to wed. But what's truly historic is where white Catholics are on this issue. Photo

The question was straightforward: “Do you think it should be illegal or legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married?” In February 2010, an astounding 55 percent of white Catholics said "legal." In the current poll, the number jumped 8 points to 63 percent. This Post-ABC News poll corresponds with a Gallup poll I gasped at in June 2010. That survey showed that Catholics (62 percent) and men (53 percent) were leading the charge on acceptance of same-sex marriage, which was supported by 52 percent of all surveyed…
Read complete report, access related links:
Related links:


Gay Marriage -  NY Gov Cuomo 

“… a Catholic who practices his faith mainly through his work in public life. ‘…lives its faith rather than simply talking about it…’” By Paul Vitello, March 18, 2011 – The New York Times | * * * * * * Benedict XVI Child Sexual Abuse Cover-ups – 3/9/11

He goes to Mass, though not every Sunday. He considers himself a practicing Roman Catholic,… He opposes the death penalty, as church leaders do. But he is divorced. And he supports same-sex marriagePhoto 

In other words, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York shares the churchgoing habits and social views of a sizable number of the 68 million Americans who have identified themselves as Catholic in recent surveys…

But now that he is the governor, the everyday complications of Mr. Cuomo’s religious identity have become a lightning rod in a decades-old culture war between conservative Catholics and those, like Mr. Cuomo, who disagree with the church’s positions on various issues…

Just how fierce that struggle remains became evident last week, when online criticism from a Catholic canon lawyer led to an awkward impasse that threatened to derail the governor’s first official meeting with the state’s Catholic bishops

The conflict over the governor’s faith began last month, when Edward N. Peters, who teaches at the seminary of the Archdiocese of Detroit and holds an appointment as an adviser to the Vatican on canon law, wrote that Mr. Cuomo should not be allowed to receive holy communion because he is divorced and living with his girlfriend, the Food Network host Sandra Lee, in what Mr. Peters called “public concubinage.”

In early March, Mr. Cuomo said he would be unable to meet with the bishops because of a scheduling conflict, a move that some in Albany interpreted as a deliberate snub in response to Dr. Peters’s criticism.

All was eventually patched up: Mr. Cuomo found time on March 8 to meet the bishops for lunch at his residence...

Yet friends of the governor’s who were interviewed in recent days said Mr. Cuomo was disturbed at so promptly being thrust into the spotlight of conservative Catholics’ moral disapproval…

“I’d say he was hurt, on his own behalf and on behalf of Sandra,” said John Marino, a family friend and a past chairman of the stateDemocratic PartyPhoto

When Dr. Peters’s criticism received public attention last month, the governor said, “My religion is a private matter and not something that I discuss in the political arena.”…
Read complete report, access related links:

New York Governor - Cuomo Vows Personal Push to Legalize Gay Marriage
By Michael Barbaro and Nicholas Confessore,
March 9, 2011
The New York Times

Cuomo, in Gay Marriage Push, Will Meet With Leading Supporters
By Michael Barbaro,
March 8, 2011 5:17 PM
The New York Times

Cuomo Meets with New York Archbishop
March 8, 2011
WBEN NewsRadio 930: Buffalo & Niagara Falls NY

BY Celeste Katz
March 7, 2011 7:52 PM
New York Daily News

A Cuomo Schedule Conflict Draws Scrutiny
By Thomas Kaplan,
March 7, 2011 – The New York Times

Governor Cuomo Is Brushing Off Idiocy & Corruption In The Catholic Church – NOT The Catholic Church – March 7, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 9:43 am
Thalamus Center

Cuomo Says He’ll Push for Vote to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
By Thomas Kaplan
February 9, 2011 - The New York Times

New York Governor attacked by Vatican adviser
for taking Communion as his glamorous home life with girlfriend Sandra Lee is revealed
24th February 2011 – Mail Online

Catholic Professor Says Cuomo Shouldn't Get Communion
Associated Press Rachel Zoll and Michael Hill,
February 23, 2011 – The Huffington Post
ALBANY, N.Y. — A consultant for the Vatican's high court says he believes New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shouldn't receive the Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion because he is not married to his live-in girlfriend, Food Network star Sandra Lee.
Edward Peters, who's also a conservative Catholic blogger and seminary professor in Detroit, called the living arrangement "public concubinage" and said that Cuomo taking Communion would be sacrilegious…
Read complete report:


Edward Peters
Sacred Heart Major Seminary Photo 
2701 Chicago Boulevard ·
Detroit, MI 48206

Cardinal Maida Detroit, MI

Ratzinger [Benedict XVI] and Maida 
Notification Regarding Sister Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Father Robert Nugent, SDS - New Ways Ministry
…In 1988 the Holy See established a commission under the presidency of Cardinal Adam Maida to study and evaluate their public statements and activities, and to determine whether these were faithful to Catholic teaching on homosexuality…
Read complete report:


Machinations of Benedict XVI Denials Leaking Documents Homosexual Overtones To Publicly Discredit Prominent Catholic Editor Who Criticized Italian PM - A Supporter of Benedict XVI Issues -February 9, 2010 Photo 

Silvio Berlusconi attacks gays to ‘woo’ Roman Catholics
by Fred Attewill
28th February, 2011 – Metro.co.uk 

Related links:

Italian Catholic scandal draws in Pope Benedict
by Nicole Winfield - Associated Press
 February 9, 2010 - The Seattle Times

Vatican intrigue hits new level with leak denial
by Nicole Winfield - Associated Press
February 9, 2010 - Business Insider

Commentary: what lies behind Vatican's denial of involvement in Boffo affair?
by Richard Owen in Rome
February 11, 2010 - The Times
What lies behind the highly unusual denial this week by Pope Benedict XVI that the Vatican was involved in the smearing of Dino Boffo, a Catholic editor critical of the private life of Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, as a "renowned homosexual"?

Andrew Cuomo Takes Communion and Revives the 'Good Catholic' Debate 
By David Gibson,
January 7, 2011 – Politics Daily

The Vatican thirst for power divides Christianity and damages Catholicism
by Hans Kung
guardian.co.uk – October 27, 2009
The astonishing efforts to lure away Anglican priests show that Pope Benedict is set on restoring the Roman imperium

Gay Marriage & Benedict XVI’s Obsession “…HITLER YOUTH brainwashed young Germans into support of their prejudices and policies against homosexuality.” 
“Hidden holocaust?: gay and lesbian persecution in Germany, 1933-45” 
By Günter Grau, 1995
TC 3/13/11

Hitler’s Anti-intellectualism- downfall of German science & Germany’s eventual destruction in 1945 – HITLER YOUTH Benedict XVI’s Rejection of Gender Theory – Gay Marriage
TC 3/17/11

"Marriage Equality: A Positive Catholic Approach"
NEW WAYS MINISTRY Responds to Bishops' Criticism of Same-Sex Marriage Book, March 16, 2011

Catholics Back Cuomo In Church Tiff…
March 5, 2011 – NYDailyNnews.com

Vatican Publicly Attacks NY Gov Cuomo for Backing Gay Marriage Catholics Support Cuomo
Ratzinger/Benedict XVI & Accomplices – 30+Years
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Thalamus Center

"Authoritarian ≠ Authoritative,
Unsubstantiated Antigay Teachings ≠ Well-informed Conscience ≠ Roman Catholic"

Homosexuality & The Bible - Galileo | Homophobia | Well-informed Conscience = Roman Catholic

Gay marriage -> Restoring 
"Hope of Love" 
To Children In Early Childhood 
March 23, 2010 – by Fr. Marty Kurylowicz
Marriage Equality, like Galileo, is the truth about the facts of growing up gay. Marriage Equality will not become a reality until people learn that its most vital purpose is that it restores the “hope of love” to children in early childhood – essential to their development and well-being for life. 

Without Marriage Equality we teach children how to hate love and how to be mean and indifferent to people as adults. With all due respect, without Marriage Equality we would teach them in much the same way as has been shown by Benedict XVI and the hierarchy, especially in their lack of care and protection of children for decades.  

Sexual Orientation - Love – Attachment Theory - Internalized Homophobia
Nothing in life is more precious than the intimate relationships we have with love onesHealthy love relationships delight us give us confidence to take on challenges and support us in difficult times. 


Letters sent out:

July 2010 

President of the United States
United States Congress
United States Supreme Court
United States Department of Justice
50 United States Governors 

Dear -- --------, 

My name is Fr. Marty Kurylowicz, a Roman Catholic priest from the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan ordained June 16, 1979.  

In March 1997, after attending a National Symposium of the New Ways Ministry that was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I learned that children as young as 4 and 5 years of age know that they are different. This feeling "different" is only identified in their adult years as being gay. However, the harmful influence of antigay social and religious norms -- in particular, for Catholics, the Vatican’s unsubstantiated antigay teachings -- are severe and last throughout a child’s lifetime.  

The harmful effects are not isolated only to these children who grow up to be gay, but also affect their families, siblings, friends and anyone whom they might consider special in their lives. They are a prescribed societal sentence of implicit isolation, which place at risk of suicide so many innocent adolescents and young adults. They stifle an enormous amount of human potential in the world that otherwise could be put to use for finding cures for diseases, offering better ways of maintaining peace among people and improving the quality of life for everyone in the world.
Gay Marriage - “SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE” Does Not Give Churches Or Benedict XVI - The Freedom To Abuse Children or Adults. July 2010 - By Fr. Marty Kurylowicz


“Someday, maybe, there will exist a well-informed, well considered and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child’s spirit.” Erik Erikson


…whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6


Important note: No disrespect meant to Pope Benedict XVI or the hierarchy, the one and only concern is the safety and well-being of children.

Kids Are Being Hurt !!!


No comments: