(MintPress) – You might assume all Catholics have made their mind up on the issue of gay marriage.
The Catechism of the church is clear: It’s immoral and should not be recognized as acceptable, and certainly shouldn’t be accepted within the union of marriage. But ask a group of Minnesota prayer warriors how they feel about the topic and they’ll tell you, and perhaps invite you to pray with them — silently.
Every Tuesday evening, a group of Catholics from around the Twin Cities area gather at St. Paul’s Cathedral in St. Paul, Minn. — not for the passage of the referendum, but for its failure. Yes, they are Catholics against a referendum limiting the rights of same-sex couples to marry.
It’s for this reason that they pray silently — their controversial stance does not allow them to use the Cathedral to openly pray the rosary together. In fact, they were told by a parish priest that they were not allowed to do so.
Rather than leaving their place of worship, the group made a commitment to honor the priest’s request — not by leaving, but by praying silently, together.
“I thought of 9/11,” Marilyn Gates, a woman involved in the Vote No prayer movement said in an interview with MintPress, “and a lot of people gathered together after 9/11 and simply prayed together and so I thought well, ya know, we could do that too.”
What they discovered through their silence surprised all of them.
“Because we had adopted this non confrontational sort of attitude about what we were doing, we decided to accept that and simply pray in silence,” Gates said. “And that has taken on a whole different power that we didn’t expect.”
Marriage amendment and the Catholic Church
Minnesota is facing an upcoming referendum on the November ballot, in which residents will face the question: Should Minnesota institute a constitutional ban against gay marriage.
It was this issue that inspired a group of Catholic parishioners from around the Minneapolis-St.Paul area to “come out” as supporters of gay marriage. They first began to make their position known publicly during the holy month of Lent. Once a week, they’d gather outside the Arch Bishop’s office and protest, carrying signs, marching and voicing their cause.
When Lent ended, a smaller portion of the protesters decided to carry on their mission inside the church, not through the power of numbers or signs, but through prayer.
Various walks leading to one position
Those who gather to pray at St. Paul’s Cathedral cannot be grouped together with one political label. Sure, they’re united through their position on the church and gay marriage, but their stories are varied — their shared passion on the issue stems from different life experiences and positions.
Take Rachel Nelson, for example. She has been faithful to the movement since its inception, when crowds would gather for protest, rather than prayer. When asked where her dedication stems from, Nelson’s answer was different from those she gathered with. Not touching on the morality of gay marriage, Nelson pointed out the vast amount of money the Catholic Church in Minnesota has spent on the Vote Yes campaign — money she says could be contributed toward causes that directly and positively impact the lives of people in the region.
Nelson also points toward the separation of church and state, saying the church should take itself out of the political debate and focus on the values of the church, within the church.
For Gates, it’s about equality. In her line of work, she’s come across many same-sex couples who have adopted children, and she has seen positive results. She also takes issue with the church in its condemnation of those who are in favor of same-sex marriage, as she recalls the Catechism promoting individuals to come to their own conclusions, through prayer and intellectual thought, on social matters.
As for Kay Jones and Cathy Corrigan, both Catholic parishioners involved in the Vote No prayer movement, it’s simply about equality. Jones has a family member who has been in a same-sex committed relationship for more than 20 years.
While their reasons are varied, these women are united in their belief that the church needs to take itself out of the debate, both through the message it spreads at the pulpit, and through the amount of money spent on its fight to institute a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Speaking out in the Catholic Church
When asked if the group of women considered themselves rebels, they shared a good laugh. Although they may be the minority, they also consider themselves among a growing movement of Christians — and while they’re outnumbered, they certainly aren’t alone.
Yet in the view of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, they certainly are. Earlier this year, the Vatican called out the nuns of America, claiming they were not focusing enough on the issue of gay marriage and abortion and were spending too much time concerning themselves with other social justice issues.
The message the Vatican sent through its condemnation of U.S. nuns was clear: It’s their way, or the highway.
While that has caused many to leave the church, there’s a new wave of Americans — primarily women — who are saying they just won’t go — but they also won’t back down on their beliefs. That’s exactly the case of those who are braving the marriage debate in Minnesota, making their beliefs known and praying for a cause they believe is just.
And they believe there’s hope that the church, somewhere down the road, will change its mind.
In the past, the church supported slavery and banned the marriage of Catholics and non-Catholics. Because of social movements, those policies changed. And the women of this Minnesota group believe same-sex marriage is next.
“I hope I see it in my lifetime,” Carrigan said.
Her prayer warriors agree — and believe they will see a day when their beliefs do not represent the fringe of Catholics in America, and instead represent the commanding view of the Catholic Church.
As for now, they’re hoping for a small victory in November — one that would spur into motion a change toward acceptance in all areas of life, including the church.