I guess you could say I was Catholic before I was born. I was baptized as an infant at Blessed Sacrament Church. If you look at the baptismal records of most Black Catholics in Cleveland around my age, I suspect that you will find they were baptized at the same church. It was the de facto go-to Black Catholic Church. Directing Black Catholics to a certain church was OK back then.
By 1950 or so, when I went to kindergarten, there was enough integration in the church for Black folks to start attending other Catholic churches and for me to attend St. Thomas Aquinas School, located at 90th and Superior, which I mentioned in my last column. From there I continued my Catholic education through Notre Dame Academy. With all those years of Catholic education, I can rightfully say that I can hang with the best when it comes to understanding, discussing and knowing the church’s dogma and teachings. As well as its hypocrisy.
After dropping in and out of the church during my middle years, I’m like many of today’s Catholics — a “cafeteria Catholic,” picking and choosing what I want to believe and what I’m willing to ignore in church teachings. I attend mass just about every Sunday, partially in memory of my late father, who would want me to go and because I’m friends with many people at my church.
But the recent policy, effective September 1, 2023, by the Diocese of Cleveland entitled Parish & School Policy of Issues of Sexuality and Gender Identity, may have tipped the scales. It’s a bridge too far even for those who are willing to pick and choose what they are willing to ignore regarding the past and present wrongs and hypocrisy of the church. Like the slave trade that kept Catholic-run Georgetown University afloat in the 19th century. (See The 272 – The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church by Rachel L. Swarns, Random House 2023) Or the revelations of systemic child molestation and sexual abuse that was covered up and enabled for the last several decades.
The three-page single-spaced document appears on the website of the diocese and has been widely disseminated in news accounts and is worth the read. Frankly, it’s hard to believe that it came from the pens of a religious organization that is supposed to love thy neighbor as thy self, but only if you are not LBGTQ+.
According to the introduction, “Our bodies were created as a male and a female.” Anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+ is gender dysphoria and/or gender confused. I had to look up the word dysphoria. It means the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristic, which assumes that if you don’t identify with the sex on your birth certificate you are screwed up.
The policy applies to all offices, parishes, parish schools and diocesan schools of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland as well as their employees, personnel, volunteers, students and youth participating in parish or institutional faith formation. It does not apply to schools that are operated by individual orders within the Catholic Church, like St. Ignatius or Ursuline College.
The document sets forth the following topics with detailed explanations: parental notification, pronouns and names, bathroom and facilities, single-sex institutions, programs and activities, parish or school dances, personal appearance and dress, conduct, sex/gender transition and records. It must have taken someone most of the summer to cover all these bases.
Echoing the mindset of such Neanderthals as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it sets up a draconian set of rules that questions such things as who a student can go to the school dance with. For example, a same sex couple cannot attend, but it is OK to “allow a person at attend such events without a date or with a companion, if the companion (whether of the same sex or not) is in a platonic friendship, or as part of a group of platonic friends.” Not sure how you police that.
Police is the operative word. The rules make Gestapo officers out of teachers and school administrators who must decide if the dress of a particular student is consistent with the sex they were assigned at birth. Likewise with a name. It’s OK to use Dan instead of Daniel, but is it OK to use Sam instead of Samantha? Must the administrator call a janitor on the carpet — no pun intended — for wearing an earring and a ponytail? Could I wear a pair of rainbow-colored sneakers just because they are my favorite colors? The rules say no exhibition of LGBTQ+ pride symbols. How do you determine what a display of gay pride?
One troublesome section for me is the notification requirement. Teachers and school administrators are required to notify parents if they feel a student has gender identity issues, but there is a caveat. If there is a fear that the notification could subject the student to physical abuse at home, the teacher or administrator is directed to contact the Diocese Legal Office and the Bishop’s designated “moral theologian” will determine if such information should be disclosed to a parent or guardian. Pretty hard call. And what if they make the wrong call?
Rather than be subjected to claims of outright discrimination against gay and transgender persons, the edict states that all are welcome in Catholic facilities, but the person must “accept the responsibility of striving to do good by avoiding any conduct that is not consistent with Catholic moral teaching as well as upholding the rules and expectations of the community.” I guess that translates into staying in the closet — where they might find some members of religious communities — or get out before you are forced out.
I don’t claim to be a biblical scholar, but I know enough of the New Testament to cite a few passages like “judge not less you be judged” and “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus accepted the lepers and the tax collectors and the Samaritans and Mary Magdaline who was alleged to be a loose woman. What would Jesus have done if there has been a homosexual or transgender apostle? Gender issues didn’t start in the 21st century. My religion tells me he would not have cast them out or told them to stay in the closet — if they had closets back then.
Since I have not walked a mile in the shoes of a person with gender identity issues, I don’t feel that I am able to judge them or say that they are gender confused or force them to be something they are not. Somewhere in the Bible is says, “love thy neighbor as thyself.” What happened to compassion, kindness and mercy for youths who are facing a gender crisis in their life?
A friend of mine who is not LBGTQ+ and a practicing Catholic is so upset about the recent edict that he is thinking about attending mass wearing a dress. He wonders if he will be asked out. For the last several weeks, he has placed an empty envelope into the collection plate because he is so ticked off at the amount of money that the church has spent to defeat legislation that would allow for women’s right to choose. He wants his money to go for the benefit of his parish, not for the political opinions of church leaders, a proposition that makes a lot of sense to me.
With the high incidence of bullying of transgender and homosexual youths that results in suicides, I hope the bishop and his staff don’t end up with blood on their hands. Those bloody hands will probably be the ones used to sign the papers to excommunicate me from the Catholic church as a result of this article. But the same hands that will gladly accept my monthly contributions, if I decide to continue them. Another example of the hypocrisy in church.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she is a former member of the Board of the Ohio History Connection, and past president of the Cleveland Civil War Round Table, and is currently vice president of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.
16 Responses to “POINT OF ORDER: The Catholic Church Builds a Bridge Too Far — to Hypocrisy by C. Ellen Connally”
Mel Maurer
As a life long Catholic, I’m with you all the way on this Ellen. I’ve always said, that any church should never come between you and your God.Now it looks like mine has.
Patricia Wynn Brown
Thank you for this insightful article. I am with you. I feel my religion has been yanked away from me by men who are against women having power in the church and also with their own bodies. The clergy suffer from reality dysphoria without examination of their own ranks and their open secret sexual practices. If they want to play politics, then pay taxes.
Deann Moore
Very well written I have 1 daughter that had stopped going to the catholic church due to all the politics going on. Breaks my heart but, I get it. I feel God makes us who we are. No one would choose to have to fight all the battles of the LGBTQ community. People’s choices should be between them and God, not the church or politicians. Thank you for writing the well written article.
Bill Scott
Too many self professed educated Christians proclaim that the church is outdated and apologize that Christianity has to conform to these modern times we live in yet can only give vague Bible recollections they paraphrase to conform with what they want to believe.
Christians should not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of their mind – Romans 12:2
Adonis Navarro
Breaks my heart that modern politics is trying to rewrite christianity to fit the times. Good for the diocese, sticking up for their long held values in the face of heavy opposition. Its so glaringly obvious that these policies were only put into effect because the diocese were trying to be in line with traditional scriptural commandments and gods requirements for his people. You cant cherry pick scriptures. Even if there have been some inconsistencies within the catholic organization, this seems to be, to me at least, a step on the right direcyion for those who wish to follow gods time tested law
Nicolette Plottner
Right on Ellen!
Maribeth Jergens
Am a lifelong Catholic, educated in Catholic Schools. I support your article Ellen although I wish I didn’t have to in many ways.
I served on the Special Commission and Review Boards for Sexual Abuse and watch the problem continually swept under the rug. I was abused by a priest from grade school to college. The church protected him but not me. I stopped giving money to the church then. The preaching by the church to deny our rights to our own bodies, the patriarchal system and now the rejection of LBGQT human beings literally makes me I’ll. I no longer attend church. The church wonders why?
Thank you for your article. Whatever happened to “Love One Another?”
I no longer find Love in this hypocritical organization.
Janice M. Bianco
I find it interesting that this new ‘doctrine’ was released around the anniversary of the issuance of the Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany. Your comparison to the Gestapo is spot on. Teachers are being asked to inform on their students (with probably zero training in psychology and sexual gender identity) much the same way Germans were told to inform on their neighbors and family members. Where does this nonsense end? I feel like we are going backwards in time and reverting to previous ideas without becoming the enlightened and accepting people that Jesus meant us to be. I attended 16 years of Catholic school – grades 1-12 at Philadephia archdiocese schools and 4 years at VIllanova (which thank God follows the teachings of St. Augustine and is run by the Augustinian order), I received an excellent education and had some wonderful teachers. But if I had children, I would not be sending them to a Catholic school. My child’s personality and gender issues would be for my family to discuss and decide – not a church or a teacher in any religious school.
Terry M
If I had not already left the Catholic Church six years ago for other reasons, this definitely would have forced my decision. A church that is not truly accepting of all is not showing the love commanded by Jesus. I have since joined an ELCA Lutheran church that has voted to be come a “Reconciling in Christ” church, which designates that all people, including the LGBTA+ community, may become full members of the church, including receiving the marriage sacrament, holding leadership roles in the church, including ordination, and will not be turned away for any reason. This is the true reflection of Christ’s love for all of us.
Jane Blackie
Thank you for giving voice to my disgust with the recent diocesan edict. I was also born and raised Catholic, so it’s a painful moment. As a former high school teacher in Lakewood, I know how important it is to accept all students. Ironically, I walked into the Bay Village Middle School last night for a community meeting and was greeted with the sign, “All are welcome here.” How ironic to see that being displayed in a public school.
The next question for me is:Where do I go now? Where can I find the Lord and not feel angry or feel like a hypocrite every time I sit in the pew?
EDWARD MYCUE
Predictions include memories of institutional stupidities that offer more of the same predictions that included them. There was one formerly famous literary story set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition where the prelates in defense of the church named after Christ re-crucified Christ in defense of his Church. Your canny theater critic Laura Kennelly might if she could– and I’d expect can — explain the story with rueful humor and to the amusement of your columnist and expectant readership.
Donna M. Skurzak
Thank you Ellen. I stand with you and with those who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. I too am an alum of Notre Dame Acsdemy. Because of the education I received, and the friends I have to this day, I know how wrong this “policy” is as it does harm on so many levels, to so many. Thank you for speaking up and speaking out.
Tim Kempf
Thank you for this sensitive and timely opinion piece, Ellen. I was raised Catholic, and attended CCD classes (Continuing Catholic Development) till I left high school. I am a member of the LBGTQ+ community – always have been – and I do NOT suffer from gender dysphoria. I’m just gay. And, as another commenter pointed out above, God made all of us. I mean, my Catholicism may be a bit rusty but I seem to remember as a child being taught that God does not make mistakes. The time has long passed for the dissolution of the antiquated teachings of my former faith. ALL houses of faith should teach LOVE and ACCEPTANCE – Jesus’ teachings – and stay the heck out of politics and policy. I left the faith many years ago but my love for God remains.
janice battistuta
Thank you for expressing my outrage with such an eloquent article.
Katherine Burke
I left the Catholic church when it refused to support the Affordable Care Act because it didn’t want to provide insurance that would pay for birth control. For 10 years now I have been Episcopalian. The Episcopal church welcomes EVERYONE. We have women priests, married priests, same sex marriage, inclusion of all genders and sexual orientations. I’m incredibly happy with my decision to join the Episcopal church.
Dolores Gray
Thank you Judge Connally for writing this well informed article. I am just now getting around to reading it. God is good! He kept it in my memory knowing I would need to refer back to it. I too am a Catholic and been one all my life. The strongest argument that I stood up for to priests & bishops, and one cardinal, was; animals have souls and DO go to Heaven, God help them for teaching otherwise! I was ready to beg, borrow or steal to get to meet the Pope to lay it on the line to him also! Thank God Saint Pope John Paul beat me to it and declared the truth about Gods Beautiful Creatures all awaiting us in Heaven!!! He must have been tipped off that I was coming from the Cardinal I had met in New York back in the early 90’s. Boy did I preach him a good one! When I heard our now Pope, chose the name of the patron Saint of animals, I was overjoyed! Dear Pope Francis! RAINBOW BRIDGE LIVES!!!
I’m recently helping to plan a funeral for a woman. The family would like it to be Catholic. The deceased woman’s fiancé (a woman) feels it would be a nice tribute. The Catholic Church they attended in Texas had an open minded cool priest. I guess we’ll have to hide a lot?! No way! If it came out she was engaged to a woman, will All Souls Cemetery, a Catholic Cemetery close & lock it’s gates when we arrive? I’ve already had one cousin say she won’t attend if the mass is in a Catholic Church now that she knows the lifestyle of the deceased. Talk about “Judge ye NOT”! “Loving Lord have mercy”! This is not the Lord I was raised to know & I am 60+. I had the coolest parents ever! God always blessed me w/the coolest priests ever! I even made it through some nasty nuns! All forgiven now! 😁
We must get through this! God help anyone who leads folks away from Our Lord by judging them! By telling them they’re going to Hell for who they love!?!! God help anyone who denounces our scientific knowledge of discoveries that enable folks to become who they are INTENDED TO BE along w/the help of the gifted surgeons who’s GOD GIVEN TALENTS can get them there!?!! These “judgmental God-wannabe pseudo-Christians” have to answer to Almighty God someday! To think so many wonderful LGBTQIA+ were led to believe Our Lord God hates them because they need to be who they are and love who they love, oh, it makes me sad 😔. Time to get mad 😠!!