The Catholic bishops of Virgina, USA, have voiced their support for Catholic groups which have backed out of the annual St Patrick’s Day parade in the city of Norfolk following the naming, as grand marshal, of the state’s pro-abortion and pro-same-sex marriage Governor Terry McAuliffe.
Despite his stance on these issues, Governor McAuliffe was chosen for the honour by the parade organisers, the Knights of Columbus Council 3548, which has organised the local St Patrick’s Day parade for the past 48 years. In response, a number of Catholic schools pulled out of the planned parade, while the Holy Trinity parish moved to sever all ties with the Knights. The parish’s action was led by PP Fr Dan Beeman, who also acted as chaplain to the Knights of Columbus Council 3548. Earlier appeals by Fr Beeman that the parade by non-political went ignored by the Knights.
In a joint statement released by the Catholic bishops, the prelates praised the boycott while offering criticism for the Council.
“We support the local parish, Catholic schools and entities that have decided that, in this case, adhering to their faith means withdrawing from the parade,” they wrote. “It is an erroneous and serious mistake in judgment for any Catholic organisation to grant awards, honors and platforms to any public person who clearly acts in defiance to Catholic teaching.”
Stressing that the actions of the Council are not reflective of the wider Knight of Columbus movement, the bishops expressed confidence that other councils “will carefully weigh future invitations and selections in light of the fullness of Church teaching”.
The bishops added: “While one must always respect the Office of the Governor and the person holding that office, and dialogue should be fostered, one cannot deny that the Governor has made public statements in opposition to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church on issues pertaining to the dignity of human life and marriage.”