{"id":18661,"date":"2014-02-22T15:13:51","date_gmt":"2014-02-22T20:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/?p=18661"},"modified":"2017-01-24T17:12:48","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T22:12:48","slug":"gay-man-refused-last-rites-get-religion-has-some-thoughts-on-this-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/2014\/02\/gay-man-refused-last-rites-get-religion-has-some-thoughts-on-this-story.html","title":{"rendered":"Gay Man Refused Last Rites? “GetReligion” Has Some Thoughts On This Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve probably seen the story published by The Washington Post<\/a><\/em> about the gay man who was allegedly denied a Sacrament by a priest because he was gay.<\/p>\n

When I read the story, something didn\u2019t smell right to me. The first thing that popped into my head though was a question. Is this news? Or is it propaganda disguised as news? I think it is the latter.<\/p>\n

GetReligion<\/em> has a fine stable of writers who, unlike many journalists, actually do<\/em> \u201cget\u201d religion. Terry Mattingly does a great job sifting through this lopsided attempt to snare readers<\/a> with an outrage inducing headline and lede.<\/p>\n

Take a look,<\/p>\n

The sad story of a priest, a partial-penitent and the press<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

At this point, it is no longer unusual to read a news story about an issue linked to homosexuality that yanks the pope\u2019s famous \u201cWho am I to judge?\u201d quote out of context. Alas, this is now business as usual in the mainstream press. Click here for a refresher course \u2014 video and transcript \u2014 about what Pope Francis actually said.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s move on.<\/p>\n

Gentle readers, what is the key word that is missing from this opening passage from a recent Washington Post story? This ran under the headline, \u201cGay patient says Catholic chaplain refused him last rites.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Catholic chaplain at MedStar Washington Hospital Center stopped delivering a 63-year-old heart attack patient Communion prayers and last rites after the man said he was gay, the patient said Wednesday, describing a dramatic bedside scene starting with him citing Pope Francis and ending with him swearing at the cleric.<\/em><\/p>\n

Details of the exchange this month between the Rev. Brian Coelho and retired travel agent Ronald Plishka couldn\u2019t be confirmed with the priest, who did not respond to a direct e-mail or to requests left with the hospital and the archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Washington, for which he works, declined to comment and said Coelho \u201cis not doing interviews.\u201d The bedside discussion was first reported Monday in the <\/em>Washington Blade.<\/p>\n

The key word that is missing, of course, is \u201cConfession.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read Mattingly\u2019s whole piece<\/a>, as he addresses a number of the questionable points raised by the Post\u2019s<\/em> reporter.<\/p>\n

For folks who aren\u2019t sure why Catholics believe that another fallible human being can give them absolution, remember that God often utilizes human beings as his agents.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.\u201d And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, \u201cReceive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.\u201d (John 20:21-22<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Allow me to edit Mattingly\u2019s final paragraph for clarity (my edits **).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened was supposed to be between the priest, the penitent and God \u2014 with the press left out of the Sacrament. Journalists do not have to agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church, of course. However, it is *incumbent upon them to* know enough about *the teachings* to make a professional attempt to represent viewpoints on both sides with fairness and accuracy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That certainly did not happen in the Post<\/em> story.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve probably seen the story published by The Washington Post about the gay man who was allegedly denied a Sacrament by a priest because he was gay. When I read the story, something didn\u2019t smell right to me. The first thing that popped into my head though was a question. Is this news? Or is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,36],"tags":[82,95,1573,31,53,1572,72,1209],"class_list":["post-18661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-living","tag-clarity","tag-confusion","tag-getreligion","tag-in-the-news","tag-other-blogs","tag-propaganda-pretending-to-be-news","tag-sacraments","tag-terry-mattingly"],"yoast_head":"\nGay Man Refused Last Rites? 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